Waterlight
by Tylluan
Summary: Another tale in the Looking for Ianto in All The Wrong Places series where Jack comes to a world that is full of surprises.  Will he find a version of Ianto that he can bring back to Cardiff with him?  Read on and find out!
1. Chapter 1

This time when Jack went through the doorway created by the portal device, he got a bit of a surprise when he found himself plunging into a pool of water. His abrupt belly flop into the water made him lose his grip on the device and he experienced a moment of panic when it slipped from his fingers.

By this time his head was underwater and he frantically looked about. Luckily the portal device was floating just a bit ahead of him and he kicked with his legs to propel himself over to where it was slowly sinking. He grabbed it, feeling relief at the tactile feel of the device in his hands. It was only then that he realized that he was sinking fast due to the weight of his clothing.

He started moving his arms in an attempt to propel himself upwards, but it seemed to be a losing battle. The water was a deep blue in color and crystal clear, but Jack felt like he was trying to move through it in slow motion. He felt his chest burning from the lack of air and he looked upwards. The light seemed to be receding as he dropped lower. He shoved the portal device in his pocket. The coat may be weighing him down, but he was damned if he was going to get rid of it. He tried to untie his boots, but the cold of the water was making it difficult. The lower he sank, the darker the water got. He needed to breathe and he knew the moment he did, he'd drown. Oh, he'd revive, but unless he washed up somewhere with air, it was going to recur over and over again. Perhaps this was a fitting end, to not survive the experience and perhaps finally be united with his own Ianto, he reflected as his vision began to dim. The burning in his chest was hurting as he held onto the last bit of air that he had in him. Thoughts of why he had come to this universe were retreating as he finally had to inhale. The fluid rushed into his mouth and nose and as he coughed, air was expelled, only to be replaced by water.

As he sank down towards the sea bed, Jack Harkness died, the fish scattering as he dropped past them to the sand below.

* * *

The young fisherman was on his daily rounds of checking the tribe's traps when something caught his eye. It was a bundle of something dark against the sea floor bed. He peered down, his eyes used to searching out items against the murk. The sun had set some time before but he was still out on his rounds, it being the best time to come through this area and check for a good catch. It looked like some sort of flotsam that no doubt had come from the land mass not too far from here. He frowned thoughtfully before looking upwards. The sky above him was dark; the rich red of the sunset had dimmed as night had fallen. He looked towards the end of his trap line and decided to disregard whatever it was for the moment. The tribe relied on his bringing in the nightly catch. There were little ones to feed.

Pushing off from the line that was marking the trap he had just checked, he used his strong limbs to propel himself forward. He made his way down the line, resetting traps that had been sprung and setting the bait again for the next day. The catch was good this evening, and he released the fish into a net he had attached to his belt. They would eat well.

It was on his way back towards home that his thoughts went back to the detritus on the floor bed. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was going to have to get rid of whatever it was. It was too close to one of his traps, and it was one of their busiest traps. He began to worry if it would cause problems for the tribe by scaring away some of their tastier catches. He looked up again, shaking the hair out of his eyes as he judged the time based on the sky above him. It was now full dark, and only his superior night vision allowed him to see anything at all under water. Going back would delay him a bit, but the potential of losing the next day's harvest was troubling. The fisherman decided to swing back and deal with it, rather than cursing himself the next day for letting it be just so he could get back home earlier. Sighing heavily, he reluctantly turned back, hauling his now heavy net over his shoulder as he swam back the way he had come.

When he got to the trap he was glad he had turned back. The local fish were avoiding the area, so whatever it was that was down there was definitely a problem. He dove downwards, using economic strokes to propel himself swiftly down to the floor bed below. When he reached the sand, he skimmed over it lightly as he made his way to the bundle that was crumpled on the ground.

He reached it and stopped abruptly, shocked beyond belief. It wasn't garbage at all, but a strange body. The fisherman prodded it, but the body was limp. It was also oddly dressed, wearing more clothes than the young man had ever seen on one person before. Rolling the body over, he saw it was a man. But a man like he had never seen before. He also appeared to be dead. The fisherman stared down into the pale face curiously. Either way, if the man was dead, he deserved a better burial than this. Nodding to himself, the fisherman reached down and got a good grip on the strange fabric. Tugging experimentally, he saw that it would hold, so he pushed off the sea bed with a powerful stroke and started hauling both the body and his catch back to port. Muscles flexed as he swam swiftly through the dark waters towards home, the strength in his arms more than able to sustain the drag of his burden as he sped through the water.

Jack Harkness gasped back to life and a woman screamed somewhere in the room. He sat up abruptly, water pouring out of his mouth as he choked the remaining liquid out of his lungs. Opening his eyes, he realized he couldn't see anything at first and he reached out to figure out why. Fabric fell away from his face and he found himself lying on an elaborate bier. He looked in the direction that he had heard the cry and saw a beautiful woman staring at him in horror. He smiled tentatively at her, trying to reassure her that his coming back to life was normal. Well, normal for him.

The woman was a little lower than he was and he looked down in surprise. He was on a platform that was floating on water and it swayed as he shifted his weight. The reason why the woman was lower was because she was in the water. She had been decorating the edge of the bier with exotic flowers and he briefly marveled at the beautiful colors of the flowers that surrounded him. They were unlike anything he had seen before and he looked up from the trail of scattered petals at the edge where her hands had been fastening another flower to her shocked face.

"Hello," he said softly, not wanting to scare her more than she had been already. "Sorry to frighten you."

She cocked her head to one side and stared at him in wonder. She didn't reply and he wondered whether she could understand him. His memories were returning and he thought about his last moments that he could remember. They weren't pleasant, but he remembered coming through the portal entryway before drowning in the water. He didn't think he was on Earth. "Can you understand me?" He asked her. When he smiled she pushed off of the bier, obviously startled by something he had done. She swam over to the opposite wall and pressed against it. "I'm sorry," he said again, extending his hand palm up and hoping that it would be seen as a gesture of peace. She called out something in a language he didn't understand, the sound echoing off the walls of the cavern. Jack could hear a response somewhere off in the distance and knew she had called for help. He waited, unable to do anything else for the moment.

After a short time where they stared at one another in an impasse, Jack could hear the sounds of others approaching. From the splashing, they sounded like they were in a subterranean set of caves. He wondered if he had come to a water world where the people lived in the sea. He hadn't had time to look around before unceremoniously plunging into the water, so he didn't know whether there was any land masses around. Wherever they were, at least they breathed oxygen, for which he was grateful. Since the only piece of somewhat stable land was the bier on which he was sitting, he decided to wait and see who came to the woman's call. He looked upwards and saw that there was a luminescent algae that provided light in the underground cavern. The space was some kind of temple, or religious area since the lower walls had symbols and artwork painted below the area where the algae grew. His perusal of the area was interrupted by the arrival of a group of people.

Jack looked in the direction of the opening the people came from. There had to be a good portion of whatever township or village they were in since it seemed everyone from elders to small children had crowded into the passageway in response to the woman's call. Each of them stopped and stared at him as they passed through the opening. Jack stared back before glancing at the woman who was looking more relaxed now that support had arrived. She bobbed up and down gently, the water up to her neck in the deep end of the pool.

An elderly gentleman with long white hair in braids swam towards the bier and stopped just short of it. He peered up at Jack and said something. The vocal sounds were musical, but incomprehensible to Jack. He smiled, this time with his lips covering his teeth since that had seemed to be what had scared the woman. "I'm sorry," he said softly with a regretful shake of his head. "I can't understand you." The man tilted his head to one side as he listened intently to Jack. He raised one tanned hand and gestured towards Jack.

"I don't know what you're asking," Jack said, trying his best to be polite. The man motioned again and he noticed that it looked like he was encouraging him to speak some more. "Oh, right. Maybe you can figure out a way to understand me," he said. "My name is Jack Harkness, and I'm sorry that I frightened the lovely woman over there. I didn't mean to."

A younger man swam up to where the old man was floating and Jack's mouth dropped open. The man had the most glorious head of ginger hair that he had ever seen. But that wasn't what surprised him. Nor was it the powerful muscles in the man's torso and arms that obviously saw a lot of work of some sort. It also wasn't the startling green eyes that stared at him from the tanned face. No, it was the glimpse of a powerful looking large tail that the man had used to propel himself through the water.

Jack glanced around, examining each of the people near him. Every single one of them had a tail. He had landed in a world of merpeople. He took a moment to process that fact before turning back to the younger man with the red hair. For the first time in a very long time Jack found himself feeling intrigued at the possibility of meeting new people. Once upon a time before he had been stuck on Earth he used to enjoy meeting new alien races, and in fact relished it, even when the Doctor had tried to discourage him from doing so. Jack mentally shook those thoughts out of his head as he focused on the two men in front of him. He placed a hand on his own chest, noticing that all eyes were upon him. "Jack," he said, tapping his own chest. He then pointed at the man floating before him.

The man tilted his head in a gesture that was reminiscent of the elder gentleman and Jack wondered if they were related or whether it was a cultural thing. After a moment's consideration, he turned back to the elder and said something incomprehensible to Jack. Others gathered around and were obviously discussing him. The woman who had been scared by his revival moved back towards the bier and he turned to look at her. She also had reddish hair, though it was more of a dark auburn. Jack wondered whether again it was genetic or whether she and the young man might be related. She swam past the group that was in heavy discussion and was soon bobbing up and down in front of him. He stayed still, not wanting to startle her. He also realized that she didn't have any clothing on, so he kept his eyes trained on her face so as not to inadvertently offend. He watched as she carefully examined him, her eyes traveling from his face down his body. It was then he realized that she was looking at his legs. He wondered if there were any people who didn't have a tail here or whether this was the first full human she had ever seen. Without being able to talk to her, he knew any kind of discussion would have to wait.

Talk. He groaned and shook his head, making her move backwards in response. He opened his wrist strap, finding the leather stiff from being in the salt water. In fact, as he moved he felt itchy, his clothes holding all the dried salt water as well. He made a face at the feeling and the woman giggled softly. It made him smile. But as his eyes returned to his wrist strap, he wondered if he could use his vortex manipulator as a translator. It was interesting that he couldn't automatically translate the language from his time in the TARDIS. He could only imagine that he had ended up on a planet that the Doctor had never been to; therefore the translation circuit in the TARDIS didn't have their language available to him. He was never sure how it had worked, other than the TARDIS getting inside his head and dumping a wealth of information in the part of his brain that wasn't being used at the time. But for the most part it had helped him a lot to fill in the blanks for languages he wasn't familiar with from his time in the Time Agency. It did make him wonder, though. As much of what the Doctor got up to did at some point or another.

A cursory examination of his vortex manipulator showed that it hadn't weathered the experience as well as he had. It would take some work to clean up the face and get it working again. He sighed, his hope of being able to understand the tribe fading.


	2. Chapter 2

By this time the woman had moved forward again and was staring at his legs. She had a curious expression on her face and he had to stifle a smile. Behind her, the group of mostly men was still in heavy discussions over what to do with him, he supposed. He carefully moved his legs, trying to get more comfortable. Eventually though, he ended up reclining back and propping himself up on his elbow while he watched the debate. He winked at the woman and she tentatively smiled at him. The rest of the tribe had circumnavigated the group and had drifted over to him. He saw several children staring at him curiously and he waved to them. It was obvious to this portion of the tribe that he meant no harm and so they came closer.

The man with the red hair broke away from the group and came over, carefully watching Jack's interaction with the children and women. Jack wasn't sure if it was for protection or to just observe him for better clues at communicating. After a few moments of watching, he said something in that musical language and they all backed off from him. Jack looked expectantly at the man.

The man floated closer, gently moving his tail back and forth to maintain his position in the water. He pointed at Jack. Jack nodded. The man pointed again and Jack got the idea he wanted him to speak. "Hello," he said. "My name is Jack." He repeated his name again while pressing his palm against his chest. Then he held it out to the man before him.

"Nicolaren," the man said, placing his hand on his chest. Then he pointed back at Jack. "Jack." The pronunciation was a little off, but understandable. Jack smiled at the man.

"Yes. You are Nicolaran," he said. The man cocked his head to one side, eyes curious. The woman behind him giggled at Jack's pronunciation of his name. "Guess I didn't quite get it right, huh?" One of the children swam around Nicolaren before pushing himself up onto the bier. Jack had to shift his weight as the platform listed to one side as the boy leaned on the edge. His actions made the rest of the group pause and watch. Jack smiled at him.

"Karakin," the boy said and jabbed a thumb in his own direction. Then he poked Jack's leg. "Aloeren magaran toethen shareee." Jack tried to puzzle out the words. It was obvious that he was referring to Jack's legs, but Jack wasn't sure what he was saying about them. The boy then rolled onto the bier, making some of the older women gasp at his boldness. Jack made sure he stayed still and appeared non threatening. Any accidental movement towards a child could be seen as an aggressive act, so he stayed where he was. The boy bent at the waist, hefting his tail for Jack to see. "Shareee," he said, pointing to it. Then he pointed to Jack's limb. "Magaran shareee."

Jack shook his head and repeated he phrase. "Magaran shareee," he responded. He pointed and said "leg." He assumed that the boy was saying that he didn't have a tail, and so he agreed.

"Leeg," the boy said. Jack figured that was close enough and nodded. He was still itchy, but he didn't dare scratch in front of them, not knowing how it might be taken. He reflected on the fact that they had rescued him from wherever he had drowned and had even begun to prepare what looked to be a proper funeral for him. He wasn't sure what sort of technology they had. From what he could see from the room he was in, they relied on natural rock formation and flora. It was possible that he was in a sacred area, too, and perhaps this was what led to the hefty debate which was going on. He looked at the boy lying at the other end of the bier and saw that the boy was still staring at him curiously. It gave him the opportunity to examine the physical make up of these people as well. He thought he had seen every possible variation of the human form in his travels, but merpeople were not a species he had encountered before. It made him curious as to whether they had ever achieved spaceflight in his universe since they were in Earth mythology. Shaking the thought out of his head, he saw that proportionately, the boy looked like the two parts of his body fit with one another. There was a gradual change from skin to scale around the lower half of his stomach until it became all scale. The scales shimmered in the soft light of the algae, and Jack could see that the color was a rich blue/green to grey as it progressed further down his tail. The tail ended in a large fluke, the webbing which was a translucent green as it tapered off at the end. Karakin wiggled the end of his tail and it made Jack look up to see him smiling at him. Jack noticed he had sharp teeth, which made sense depending on the type of diet he probably consumed. "Shareee," he said as he wiggled his tail again.

Jack nodded. He got it. The boy then pointed to his torso and said another word. Jack had to have him repeat it. "Hagral," he said. The boy made a face and he repeated it a couple of times, trying to match the pronunciation until Karakin was satisfied. The boy laughed as he tried to teach Jack the names of the different body parts. Jack had thought that his hair was black, but as he moved Jack could see green highlights. So his assumption was probably correct in the fact that the hair and the tail showed a similar coloration. By this point, Nicolaren was propped up against the edge of the bier watching the exchange. Jack found himself fascinated with the way his hair moved. It was an eye catching color, and Jack found himself glancing over at the man. He was gorgeous. Mentally shaking his head, he refocused his attention on Karakin and his language lesson.

Soon most of the children were clustered around the bier and they were all tossing in words. Jack struggled to keep up; wanting to make sure he didn't leave anyone else. They laughed merrily when he mispronounced something, but he was learning fast. He had a natural ear where languages and intonation was concerned, though he wished he could have recorded what was going on so he could analyze it later.

The actions of the younger members of the tribe had effectively circumvented the discussion of their elders. In his peripheral vision Jack noticed that their argument amongst themselves had broken off and they were watching the interaction of their children and younger tribe members with Jack. After some time passed it was also apparent that Jack was getting tired. His voice had grown hoarse from talking and he was thirsty. The elder with the white hair clapped his hands, calling out something rapidly and the children immediately obeyed his summons. Karakin gave Jack a nod as he rolled off the end of the bier and into the water. The woman scolded the boy as he scattered the flowers into the water and Jack saw that Karakin gave her a cheeky grin and what must have been a flip answer from the look of resignation on her face at his response. She and one of the other women herded the children out of the chamber, and were followed by the other members of the tribe. Some of the other younger men kept watch alongside the edge of the cave opening as the women and children were ushered through into the space beyond.

Eventually, only Nicolaren was left behind, along with the white haired gentleman who Jack assumed was a grandfather or family patriarch and several of the men who stayed along the wall. Nicolaren regarded Jack for a moment before turning his head slightly and saying something rapidly towards the elder. He gestured and Jack took it to mean he wanted him to get into the water. He knew if he did that he would have problems swimming with the clothes he had on. Since the merpeople didn't seem to be concerned with wearing clothing other than some decorations of rank or something he hadn't quite figured out, he wasn't concerned about disrobing in front of them.

He took off his coat after patting the pocket to assure himself that the portal device was still there. He hoped he would be able to convey the fact that he didn't want to lose any of the items he had brought with him. The crowd of people watched him silently while he pulled down his suspenders and removed his shirt and vest. When he started in on his belt, Nicolaren arched an eyebrow and Jack could see that he was curious about what his legs looked like underneath the clothing. Jack figured he was about to find out. He shifted carefully on the bier, making it sway slightly as he got to his knees and pulled the now stiff fabric downwards. He did feel a little bit on show as they all stared curiously at his genitals as he slipped the trousers and underwear off his legs. From what he had seen of Karakin, the male genitals were not located outside the body, so his appearance must have seemed strange to them.

Once he was out of his clothes, he folded them carefully and placed the portal device on top of the folded coat. Then he turned towards Nicolaren and nodded. Moving carefully to the edge of the bier, he slipped over the edge, knocking flowers onto his head as he did so.

The water was warm and soothing, the stinging to his cuts and scratches minimal. He also felt that the increased saline in the water made him more buoyant. Nicolaren backed up to give him room, but remained nearby. No doubt he was concerned that Jack couldn't swim without a tail. Considering how they found him, it was a safe guess to think that he might drown again, he considered wryly. When he seemed to be able to function on his own, Nicolaren nodded briefly and gestured towards the passageway. The rest of the tribe had moved off, leaving just the elder and the two men behind. Jack hadn't even noticed that they had left, they had been that quiet.

"Marowen," the red-haired man said with a nod. Jack puzzled on the command for a moment until he realized that Karakin had said it earlier. He watched as Nicolaren swam to the entrance and said the word again. Figuring that he meant 'come,' Jack followed behind him, giving the other man enough room so that he didn't accidentally swim into his tail. They passed through the archway into an underground tunnel. Jack noticed that there were patches of algae here as well, and upon a closer inspection figured that it also provided oxygen as well as light.

Nicolaren swept ahead of him and paused to look over his shoulder to make sure that Jack was going to be all right on his own. When he saw that Jack was swimming behind him with sure strokes he turned back in the direction he had been going and continued onwards. Jack watched as his hair flowed out behind him in a sort of cape and he wondered whether they had to work at growing their hair like that or whether it was genetic. All of the children and adults seemed to have long hair and he smiled. Their hair also seemed to be reflected in their scale colors as well. At the moment he had a very close view of Nicolaren's tail and he could see that it went from the same shade of ginger that his hair was to a deep burgundy that bordered on black. Again, the fluke of the tail was translucent, making it a lighter color. Judging by the powerful strokes the other was making the delicate looking fluke was strong enough to propel him through the water.

Jack focused on his swimming, not wanting to lag behind his host. After a few moments he realized that the elder merman was nowhere to be seen and he wondered if he had slipped out first or whether there was another entryway that he hadn't noticed out of the cavern. Perhaps he had stayed behind to examine Jack's belongings. Jack felt a momentary feeling of panic at the thought, but he knew he couldn't do much to stop them from touching his stuff. He had to trust that they wouldn't do any harm to his things and hope that he could learn enough of the language fast enough to be able to explain himself to the people here.


	3. Chapter 3

Jack was just beginning to get tired from the swimming when they reached what seemed to be their final destination for the moment. During the swim they had passed through several large chambers. Each one seemed to be dedicated to different tasks or crafts, though Jack wasn't able to do more than glance about curiously before Nicolaren encouraged him to move on. They passed through several groups of people working, either on netting or spears. No doubt fishing was their mainstay for survival, Jack surmised.

Eventually they reached what seemed to be the living area. It was as they ducked through the low opening that made up the doorway that Jack heard the laughter of people as they lived their everyday lives. He glanced around, curious as Nicolaren paused as if waiting for something. The cavern didn't have as high a ceiling as the one he had woken up in, but as he looked about he could see that there was a sandy beach and some of the merpeople were lounging on the sand as they talked. Jack could see some sort of cooking apparatus off to one side of where they were laying and guessed they were cooking the evening meal.

The children were splashing in the water, obviously playing at some game while an elderly aunt type looked on indulgently. On a rock shelf others were working on something and Jack realized that they were using the shale like rocks as a preparation table as they cut something that looked like seaweed along with some tubers and other vegetables. Jack turned his head as he was nudged and he turned his head and found himself staring into Nicolaren's startling green eyes. He blinked and the younger man chuckled softly. "Marowen Jack," he said. Jack nodded and waited for him to move in the direction that he wanted to go.

They skirted around the children and over to another area that was obviously a lounging area. Nicolaren heaved himself up onto the ledge and reached out with his hand to Jack. Jack clasped it and allowed himself to be pulled upwards. He twisted so he could rest his buttocks on the sandy rock. Nicolaren nodded and leaned back against the rock wall. Jack followed suit and sighed, happy to be out of the water. The other man chuckled again, and Jack found that they were able to communicate just as well without a common language. Well, he had always been better with the physical side of a conversation, he mused.

The children tried to break away at his arrival, but were shooed away by the aunties who were watching over them. Jack had to admit he was glad for the respite, since he was feeling tired. Between reviving from the dead and the intense concentration he had been under as he tried to learn the language, he found himself happy to just sit back and drift. A moment later he was startled out of his somnolence by something touching his chest. He opened his eyes and saw that Nicolaren was touching his skin, a curious look on his face. As well he might, Jack thought, since it was probably the first time the merman had seen someone else who didn't have scales. He didn't object to the younger man's exploration of his body. Obviously they weren't shy about touching one another, since Nicolaren seemed just as curious as Karakin had been earlier. He could feel the calluses on the merman's fingertips as he lightly stroked them across his chest. When he raised his eyes to look upwards, he saw that Nicolaren looked a bit perplexed as he reached the slightly rough edge of his chin. From as close as he was sitting, it didn't look like these people had much body hair other than on the head. Even his faint display of stubble which was several days' growth for him was new to them.

Nicolaren pulled his hand back as someone called across the water. He turned his head and replied, then returned his attention to Jack. "Allaroman," he said softly. Jack cocked his head to one side. It wasn't a word that sounded familiar from his earlier lessons and he made a sound of inquiry. Nicolaren took Jack's hand and placed it against his cheek. It was as smooth as he thought it was, and far different from how his own would feel. "Shoranon," Nicolaren said. He then moved Jack's hand over to his own face and touched the hand to his chin. "Allaroman." Jack nodded. It was obvious the opposite in textures.

"Yes," he replied. They were distracted by another shout and Nicolaren sighed with annoyance. He said something too fast for Jack to catch before dropping back into the water and heading over towards the beach area. Jack stayed where he was since his presence hadn't been requested. At least he hadn't heard a repeat of the word 'marowen' which he took to mean for him to follow. Instead, Nicolaren's absence allowed him to look around the chamber. As well as the algae, these people also made use of fire, both for cooking and for light. Jack watched as one of the older girls carefully brought a flame around in a shell to various nooks and crannies of the cavern and lit some sort of deposits that were there. When she lit one not too far from him he saw that there were pools of what he had assumed to be water, but was obviously some sort of oil. It gave off a fragrant smell and he sniffed appreciatively. She smiled shyly at him before moving cautiously past him to the next opening on the wall, lighting that before continuing onwards around the cavern.

Before long, more people entered the chamber and Jack could see that it was the fishermen who had been working in the other cave they had passed through. It was obviously mealtime and one by one they hauled themselves up on the beach to get some food before moving off to some corner of the cavern. Many of the children crowed and greeted the men so Jack assumed that they were family units as each small group broke off. He watched, unaware of the wistful smile on his face until he was startled by the appearance of a redhead popping up at his side out of the water. At first he thought it was Nicolaren, but on a second glance knew it was the woman he had first startled in the burial chamber or chapel, whatever that place had been. She laughed at his reaction before reaching a hand out to him. He took it lightly, not sure if he was supposed to haul her up onto the shelf or not. Instead, she pulled him down from his perch and he only had a moment to hold his breath as he dropped down under the water. She helped him get his head above water and he shook it to get the hair out of his eyes, scattering water in an arc. That made her laugh and he smiled at her, enchanted by the sound.

"Mishmaran allor trath," she said, her voice soft in comparison to the merman's. Jack could only assume they were siblings. He wished he could ask her what her name was, but didn't know how to do it. "Jack," he said, introducing himself to her and hoped she would do the same.

"Caterin," she replied with a shy glance that he found adorable. She was very beautiful and he came to the conclusion that as a race, all of them were quite pleasing. She held his hand and tugged on it. He took that as an encouragement to follow her and so began to swim at her side. Together, they headed towards the beach area, though Caterin veered off to one side where there was a little alcove area. She gently pushed him in that direction and said a word which he assumed meant he was to stay there. He nodded and she turned back towards the beach area. He watched as she deftly made her way past the hungry men and secured some food. She placed this on a stone that seemed to serve as a plate or a tray and brought it back over to him. In the meantime he saw that Nicolaren was looking around, confused that Jack wasn't where he had told him to stay. When he saw Jack over to one side with Caterin, he nodded and turned back to the man he was speaking with. He didn't seem too concerned and Jack inwardly relaxed. The last thing he wanted to do was to create an incident by unintentionally offending someone.

Caterin returned with the platter of food and placed it on the rock shelf between them. Jack had found a ledge under water and was sitting on it. The water was warm and very buoyant, and Jack found it soothing to his aches and pains from where he had obviously scraped himself at some point. Probably when he had been drowning. Jack cleared those thoughts out of his head as the merwoman returned. The smell of the grilled food was enticing and his stomach growled in response. She giggled, hearing it and Jack smiled. He couldn't help it, and if he could at least be entertaining, then that was something.

She pushed the tray closer to him and said something which he took as encouragement to eat. He looked down and picked up a bit of grilled fish. Knowing that his physiology would allow him to eat most anything, he tried it, making a pleased sound as he tasted the succulent fish. He followed that up with some of the grilled vegetables and found them to be lightly seasoned by something which made them very tasty to eat. She joined him and he hoped that he wasn't making some kind of cultural mistake by sharing a meal with her. Still, he thought as he reached for another piece of the fish on the plate, if this meant they were married, he wasn't going to complain! He laughed softly at the thought and she tilted her head to one side, a curious look on her face.

"Good," he said, raising the fish up before taking another bite. They ate in silence after that until Nicolaren swam up to them with his own tray of food. He offered Jack some more, but he was already full. He leaned back against the rock wall, listening to the two as they chatted with one another. He didn't understand a word of what they were saying, and he wondered if they were discussing him, or just their everyday lives. Probably him, since they both occasionally glanced at him as they spoke.

He was feeling lethargic, mainly from the food and from being so tired. He lost focus of the conversation and drifted, listening to the musical sound of the syllables without trying to understand what they meant. The language, like the people, was very beautiful and the cadence of it lulled him. He wasn't aware of Nicolaren scooping him up and carrying him out of the general cave to the sleeping chambers beyond. When he was deposited on the amazingly soft sand he just curled up on his side and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack awoke many hours later, feeling a bit disoriented as he looked around. It took him a few moments to remember what had happened the day before. He couldn't remember sleeping so soundly, or feeling so refreshed upon waking. He wondered whether there had been something in the food, but after a moment's debate figured it was just the aftermath of his revival from death and everything that had happened afterwards. He rubbed his eyes before stretching, then sat up and looked around. The chamber was empty, though from the depressions in the sand it was obvious that someone or several someones had been asleep nearby. He sighed softly, wishing he could remember. Maybe Nicolaren and Caterin weren't siblings, but were a couple, and he had gotten the relationship wrong.

He shrugged to himself. Either way, it didn't really matter, since he wasn't really interested in an intimate relationship with either of them. Well, if he had to admit it to himself, if one of them offered, he wouldn't turn them down, but that wasn't the purpose of his visit. He froze as the implications of that thought continued onwards. Was there an incarnation of Ianto in this world? And if there was, would he find him? Jack shook his head. If ever there was going to be a man who was incompatible, it would be one who was half fish. Jack thought about that for a moment. It seemed that no matter where he traveled, he never found the right version of Ianto. Maybe there wasn't another one like the man he had known. But he did have to admit to himself that he couldn't stop searching, and that each discovery made him fall in love all over again.

He lay back in the soft sand of the sleeping chamber and pillowed his head on his hands as he stared upwards. Even if he found Ianto in this world, he had a language barrier to overcome. And he wouldn't be able to bring this man back to his universe. He would be a fish out of water. Jack barked out a harsh laugh at his thought. Maybe he should leave now, and not pursue this world any further.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the arrival of some of the older children, who had come looking for him again. They splashed noisily into the bed chamber and their antics made Jack grin. If he hadn't been awake before, he would have been by their actions. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched them. Karakin was at the head of the group and he waved to Jack as he made his way through the water and hurled himself up onto the sand with one powerful stroke of his tail.

"Granoren," the boy said as he all but belly flopped onto the sand beside Jack. Jack laughed as water sprayed all over him and the other children tried to emulate the older boy's antics, each with varying degrees of success.

"Granoren?" Jack echoed, feeling a lesson coming on. Karakin nodded and made a motion with his hands. Jack shook his head, not understanding. The boy saw that and rolled over so that he was lying on his stomach next to Jack. He swiped his arm across the sand in front of them, smoothing the surface. Jack followed his movement with his eyes.

When Karakin was done, he started drawing. The boy drew a horizon line and what was probably supposed to be a sun, close to the edge. "Granoren," he stated. Jack nodded. It meant morning, or something close to that. After making sure that Jack had gotten the message, he then went higher and drew the sun again. "Nonoren," he stated. Jack nodded again. It meant noontime, and he began to see that in some ways, the language had a logic as Karakin went through other standard times of the day and night. He then wiped the sand again and began to draw more complex objects. He went over the names for men, women, children, and then began to make the differences between relationships, using the other children as examples.

Jack learned quickly. It helped that he had an eidetic memory for languages as well. Some things he managed to forget all too easily when he wanted to, but languages were something that he picked up quickly and hung onto the longest. It had helped him out a lot in the past, and he made good use of it now. When Karakin had drawn the difference between siblings and a married couple (signified by the small child drawn in between them,) Jack pointed to the drawing on the left. "Nicolaren and Caterin?"

Karakin nodded and Jack was pleased with himself that he had been right in his first surmise that the two were siblings. Karakin pointed to the other and said something that was too fast for Jack to follow, but he thought he had just been given an example for the family, he just didn't recognize the names. He furrowed his brow and tried to follow, but Karakin went onto other things and Jack was forced to keep up with him or lag behind in his lessons.

Eventually the other children became bored and went off to play, leaving the two of them alone. They were interrupted by Jack's stomach growling and Karakin laughed at the sound. Jack grinned back unapologetically. Karakin rolled off the sand and into the water.

"Marowen," he said. Jack recognized this word from the day before. It meant to come or to follow. He wasn't sure which, but if it led to food, he was all for it. Jack slipped into the water, this time finding it soothing. His myriad cuts and bruises had healed overnight and he was feeling good today. He swam surely behind the merboy, finding himself fascinated with the way the boy swam. He wondered what it would be like to have a tail and found himself wondering how they reproduced. Definitely not a conversation he could have with a child, he thought to himself.

They went through several passageways that he hadn't remembered traversing the night before until they came back into the common area. The large cavern was busy with women and children working. There were some older members of the community perched on rocks doing mending of nets and other such things, but for the most part the men were gone. He assumed they were off fishing or hunting. It was a simple life, and not the first time he had resided amongst a technologically primitive world. But they were often the most happy, not having the trappings of technology getting in the way of living their lives.

Many of the women stopped in their work as they watched the boy and the strange man they had brought into their midst. The two were talking slowly as they moved through the chamber, and it was obvious that Jack had quickly picked up the language. The more vocabulary he got, the more he wanted to practice. He felt a need to communicate with these people with something other than gestures and facial expressions. Karakin brought him over to where the food was and told Jack to help himself to what was there. Jack looked at the offerings and picked up whatever seemed interesting. He had yet to find anything he didn't like about this place. He hauled himself up onto a shelf to perch on while he ate. One of the women came over with a clay pitcher and mug so he could have something to drink and she smiled as he thanked her in her own language.

"You are learning," she replied with a twinkle in her eye. He grinned as he realized he was finally understanding what the others around him were saying. It had been several hours of work for Karakin to go through most of the basics with him, but he had eagerly lapped up the words, knowing that they would unlock the barrier he was behind because of the differences in languages.

"Poorly, but yes," he replied. "I am Jack," he said, introducing himself to the willowy blonde. So far he hadn't found any sort of contractions in this language, which was probably for the best. It was less confusing that way to learn.

"Lauran," she replied. She said something else that was outside of his learned vocabulary, but he got the gist of it, which was "I am pleased to meet you." Someone called to her and she glanced over her shoulder. "I must go back to work."

"Thank you again," he replied and watched as she quickly went back to the other side of the cove where she went back to work. He finished his meal and sat back, feeling idle in this rather busy community, but not sure what he could do to help them. Though he had worked as a sailor back in the 1800s and early 1900s when he had found himself marooned on Earth, he wasn't sure his somewhat rusty skills would be of much use here with these people. Instead he just listened to the conversations between the women, trying to pick out what words he could recognize and puzzle his way through the ones he didn't.

Once he had sat long enough, he decided to see if he could be of some help. He made his way over to where the older gentlemen were repairing the nets and pulled himself onto a ledge there. One of the oldsters glanced in his direction and nodded briefly. They continued to work at repairing the tears and rips and after a pause he offered to help. A second older gentleman snorted in disbelief, but tossed a portion of the net in his direction. Jack moved over and pulled it onto his lap. The wet netting weighed heavily in his lap and he bent his head to examine it.

"Here," the first man said and handed him a shuttle with some twine already worked into it. Jack thanked him, making the man raise an eyebrow in response before he looked down at the hole that he had found. He started in on repairing his section, well aware that they were watching him. When after a time it looked like he did indeed know what he was doing, they went back to their idle chatter as they worked. Old habits helped Jack to get into the swing of things as he repaired the rip he found in the netting. His fingers worked in patterns he had thought long forgotten, but which were there somewhere in his memory. He settled into his work, content that he was doing something useful to give back to the community.

He wasn't aware of the passage of time in this underground lair and it wasn't until the men started coming in with their hauls that he realized he had been working for several hours on the nets with the older men. He looked up as one of them sighed and saw the look of satisfaction on the older man's face at the size of the catch. He had also learned that was how Nicolaren had found him, as he had dropped down to the seabed floor quite close to one of their more prolific traps. He wondered if they would have found him otherwise, but put that thought out of his head.

"Enough," the older man told Jack as he reached for more to work on. "Rest." Jack looked up in surprise and the man nodded at his hands. When he looked down, he was surprised to see that they were raw from having worked so long on the webbing of the nets. He let the old man gather up the net they had been working on and put it away for the night. Jack felt stiff from having sat so long in one position, bent over the net as he worked. He stretched, easing the kinks in his muscles. Several of the children who were not busy helping with the evening haul came over as they noticed him. They chattered at him, and he just nodded, only half listening to their talk. This tired he wasn't able to parse the words as well as he had in the morning, so it was turning into a blur. The older man seated next to him saw that he was tired and shooed them away. Like puppies they cavorted in the water and Jack smiled gratefully at his benefactor.

"Richendon," the older man said, and held his hand palm up towards Jack. Jack placed his own hand face down on top of it.

"Jack," he said with a tired smile. "Thank you."

"Thank you for helping us mend the nets. You do good work." Richendon said. Jack nodded, accepting the praise. "You are welcome to help us any time you wish."

"I will," Jack promised. Richendon urged him to go relax, and Jack slipped off the rock shelf and into the water. He made his way over to where the families were working on getting the evening meal together and figured he could be put to work there helping out. It made him feel good to know he was earning his keep. He noticed that while the fishing seemed to be a male dominated job, all of the other tasks were shared equally. In fact, as he watched, he could see family units working together to make their own meals. Those people who weren't attached to anyone else gathered together in a communal group. It was here he found Nicolaren and his sister, who smiled at him and gestured for him to join them.

"Good evening," he said with a nod as he reached for a bowl of water tubers and started pulling the husk from one in an attempt to assist with preparing the evening meal. Nicolaren turned with a surprised look on his face.

"Evening," he responded with a nod.

"Good catch today?" Jack asked. Nicolaren stared at him for a moment before chuckling. He reached past Jack to grab a tuber as well and peeling the top, took a bite out of it, earning a rebuke from his sister. He grinned at her unrepentantly before turning back to Jack.

"Yes, very good. I see you have been busy today," he nodded in response, acknowledging both Jack's increased language skills as well as the marks on his hands. "How much have you been able to pick up?"

"Enough to hold a conversation on my own," Jack replied with a grin. He was tempted to take a bite out of the tuber in his hands just to see what Caterin's reaction to that would be, but decided to err on the side of caution. The root felt hard in his hands and he wasn't sure if his teeth would appreciate it. Instead, he finished peeling it and set it off to one side. Caterin snatched it up with a glare at her brother before moving it out of his reach.

"Good. I see you must be good at net repair as well, though your hands seem a bit worn," Nicolaren observed. Jack glanced down at the cuts and nicks in his hands and shrugged.

"All part of the work that needs to get done," he said as he peeled another tuber. Nicolaren nodded and leaned back. He just watched Jack as he cleaned the root and placed it to one side (on the other side of the bowl away from his friend,) before picking up another. He felt the other man's eyes watching him, but kept his own on his task. He wasn't sure what was going on in the other man's head, so he continued with what he was doing. Caterin deftly removed the tubers as he finished them and added them to the fire to grill. She slapped her brother's hand away when he tried to sneak one to eat and he grinned at her.

"Go on you two!" She cried exasperated. Jack made a sound of protest since he hadn't been the one causing trouble, but she shooed him away. "You worked all day on the nets with the elders. You deserve some time to relax. Go over there somewhere and sit." She crowded her body against Jack and her brother and pushed them both out of the way.

They laughingly obeyed her, seeing that she was determined to get them away from the food. The two men moved away and off to one side where they lay on the sand watching the other families together. Jack observed with interest as the small family units broke up and made for their own separate spaces in the common area. He assumed that each family had its own space and that once the common tasks where shared that they went off on their own. He wondered if he should move off and give his friends from privacy, but Nicolaren didn't seem to be bothered, so he didn't know how to broach it.

"Is there someone special here for you?" Jack finally asked, trying to ask without being too forward about whether his friend was interested in someone. Nicolaren glanced over at him before looking back towards the groups of singles who were flirting with one another in the water and didn't seem to be part of a particular family unit.

"No," he replied, idly trailing his tail in the water back and forth. He glanced over at Jack speculatively. "Do you have someone where you come from?"

"No, not anymore," Jack replied. He was looking out at the younger people and didn't notice Nicolaren's expression. "Is this everyone in your village?" He asked.

"No," Nicolaren answered. "There is an enclave not too far from here where we have another fishing group. We try not to thin out the schools too much in one location, and we migrate from one place to another so we do not deplete the stock in one area. The other group is preparing our winter location. It is larger and much more comfortable than this place once the weather turns."

"Is winter coming soon?" Jack asked after taking a moment to puzzle out the terms that he didn't understand. Winter was a new word and he mentally filed it away as a new part of his vocabulary. Being inside, it was hard to tell what season it was, and from his very short glimpse of this world before he plunged into the water, he hadn't had much time to make an assessment for himself.

"Soon enough," Nicolaren said with a shrug. "We will be moving shortly. Already the fish have begun to migrate, so it is only a matter of time before we move on as well. The catch from today was showing signs that we may want to start in the next several days."

"If I can be of help," Jack offered to his new friend, "please let me know. I would like to make myself useful to the tribe." Nicolaren grinned at his offer to help and nodded amicably. He was intrigued by this man who didn't have a tail. There was something that seemed so solitary and alone about him, even when he was in the midst of a group. The merman felt sorry for him. Was he the last of his kind? How did he come to fall into their ocean? In some ways their communication had been very simple, and he wondered if Jack had been able to grasp enough of the language for more complex terms.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack could feel Nicolaran staring at him and so he turned his gaze back to the man at his side. He found it hard to read the expressions of these people. In some ways, they seemed open and carefree, but he also sensed a reserve amongst the people and he was wary of accidentally causing a problem with a misunderstanding in communication.

"How did you come to fall into our little part of the ocean?" Nicolaren finally asked. Jack sighed and turned to look back towards the children splashing in the water. Several women were trying to separate them and send them back to their families to eat, but weren't having much success.

"It is hard to explain," Jack finally said, not looking at his friend. This seemed to be a non technological world, so how could he explain how he had gotten here? "I had a device that I use for traveling. The box that I left with my things back there," he went on, tilting his head in the general direction of where he had left his clothes and the portal box. "It brought me here, but I arrived over the water rather than on land. The weight of my…" Jack searched for the appropriate word but didn't have one so used English, "clothing - prevented me from being able to swim enough to avoid drowning."

He watched as the other man nodded thoughtfully. He waited, not sure if he had been able to be clear enough to explain the concept enough for Nicolaren's satisfaction. He wasn't even going to get into trans dimensional parallel universes at this point. His grasp of the language wasn't great enough, even if they had words for those sort of terms. And in the end it didn't really matter in regards to the technical how of his arrival.

"It seems an odd way to travel," Nicolaren finally commented. "If one cannot predict where one will arrive. No?"

"Well, it is not perfect, that is for sure," Jack said with a laugh. He watched over the other man's shoulder as Caterin finished her preparations for their meal and turned in their direction. "I think our food is ready. At least I hope so, as I feel like I have a hole in my middle where my stomach should be." Nicolaren laughed at his comment as it was punctuated by a low rumble from Jack's middle.

"Indeed. We must feed that hungry beast within you then," he said with a smile. Jack grinned unashamedly. Caterin called to them and the two men made their way over to where she had set up the simple repast. She had divided the food evenly and Jack noticed some brightly colored fruit that hadn't been there before. Caterin had cut them much as one would a coconut and Jack could see some liquid inside. He smiled and thanked her for cooking and watched as she blushed and looked down. He found her adorable. Jack's gaze shifted to the man at his side as Nicolaren started eating. They were a beautiful race of people as a whole. Jack wondered if they were the dominant life on the planet or whether there were others on land as well. He accepted the food from Caterin and began eating, lost in thought as he wondered how to find out more about this planet he was on. It stood to reason that somewhere here there was another incarnation of Ianto Jones here on this world. The question was would Jack be able to find him? And if he were of the same race as these people, it was going to be pretty impossible for Jack to even consider taking him away from this place. Jack grew introspective as he thought about that. Maybe he shouldn't even look, but should move onwards without finding the other man. He knew himself well enough by now to know that this would probably only lead to heartbreak for one or both of them if the other man was even remotely interested in him.

"You seem leagues away," Nicolaren broke into his thoughts and Jack shook his head to break himself out of what he had been thinking. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Jack looked up with a smile. "Nothing. I was just thinking about your world. It is quite beautiful here," he commented. Nicolaren nodded as he continued to eat. "Are you the only people here?" Jack asked. "Are there any others?"

"There are tribes in all the oceans of our home," Nicolaren responded. He went onto describe the myriad groups that could be found, drawing a map in the sand between them. Jack paid close attention, noting that the other man only spoke about the bodies of water and only had a sketchy edge of any land mass as a reference for the ocean dwellers.

"Are there others on land as well?" Jack asked curiously. Nicolaren tilted his head as he considered the possibility before shrugging.

"If there are those on land we have never met them," he finally stated. "They have never come into the ocean and we have never gone very far into the waterways leading inwards. They are too narrow for us past a certain point. I know that some of our people use the inlets for temporary shelter, but as far as I know we have never seen anyone on land. There are animals there, but they are shy and avoid us if we are close to the land." Jack nodded. It seemed improbable that if there were another species on the land that they wouldn't be close to the water. If these people had never seen them then it was possible they were the only dominant species on this planet. "Do you look for others like you?" Nicolaren asked.

"No," Jack responded. "I was curious. I have never met anyone like your people before, so I wondered if there were others that you might share this world with." Caterin nibbled on her meal and listened to the two men speak. To her Jack seemed very alone and although he had frightened her terribly when he had revived, she felt that he must be feeling very isolated being the only one of his kind here amongst them. There was a sad look to his face, even when he smiled, and it tugged at her heart.

They settled down to eat, their conversation growing sparse as they focused on the food rather than the conversation. It wasn't until both Jack and Nicolaren had put away several servings that the conversation started up again.

"Tell me Jack, are all of your kind alike?" Nicolaren finally asked, his curiosity about his newfound friend getting the best of him.

"In what way?" Jack asked in reply. "As in do we have legs," he used the English term since they didn't have a word for that in their language, "rather than tails like you?"

"Well that," Nicolaren acknowledged with a nod. "But can they all revive as you did once we brought you to a place with suitable air?" Jack took a moment to repeat the words over in his mind. Some of what Nicolaren had said was new to him, but he had so far been able to figure out the context from the words he did recognize as well as the subject matter. The merman waited patiently, seeing that Jack was having to translate the concepts back and forth into his own language.

"Revive?" Jack finally asked, unable to parse the word that Nicolaren had used.

"To come back to life," his friend restated. "We thought you were dead." He tossed the bones from his meal onto the sand and some small crustaceans came over to eat the remains. Jack stared at the brightly colored creatures for a moment while he tried to form a reply.

"No, I am one of a kind," Jack finally said once he had figured out the context of what his friend was asking. "My people do not come back from the dead. Only me."

"How is that possible?" Caterin asked. She was full of questions and had been seated near the two men listening to their conversation without talking, but she found herself too curious to hold back. Her brother smiled at her warmly. He often felt she was too reticent and often retreated behind silence when she shouldn't, so he was eager to encourage her when she did express herself. Jack turned to look at her. She had been so quiet that he had almost forgotten she was sitting there beside them.

"That is a very long story," he said with a rueful sigh.

"Perhaps it is one that you should tell at the gathering," she replied. He tilted his head in a question at her comment and she continued. "Once our tribe gathers in the winter lodging the storms will keep us indoors for the most part. We spend the time telling stories and I think that your story will be a unique one that we all will want to hear."

Jack nodded in acquiescence. It may be by the time that occurred that he would have a large enough vocabulary to explain it to them. Nicolaren made a snorting noise and he turned back to his friend.

"I do not want to wait that long," he said impatiently. "Please, tell us. How did it come about that you are able to come back from the dead?"

Jack sighed. "I was in a…." he sought out the word he wanted, but didn't have any point of reference. "How do you say when someone is at odds with someone else?" Nicolaren turned to Caterin and they chattered back and forth too rapidly for Jack to follow. It was obvious that they were having a hard time coming up with an agreed upon word.

"What happens when you fish and the catch tries to get away?" Jack asked, trying to find a common term. Nicolaren looked thoughtful and said a word. Jack repeated it once he got the pronunciation right. "Well, I was in a struggle," Jack continued, using that word to describe the battle on Gamestation in its simplest form. "And the people I was with were losing when one of them was able to stop the others."

"How?" Nicolaren asked. Jack was at a loss for words, unable to explain the concept of how it all happened. Still, he struggled to use the bits of the language he did understand, trying to explain the conflict he had been involved in and how they had been hunted down until Rose had accessed the heart of the TARDIS and brought him back to life. He stumbled through the explanation, feeling frustrated at not being able to do so very well. The brother and sister listened closely to what he said and got the gist of what he was trying to tell them.

"So this was not of your choosing?" Nicolaren finally asked.

"No," Jack said with a shade of his head. "We were in a struggle against a large force and I knew I would die. When Rose brought me back I found out that it was for all time." He saw the two exchanged a look with awe on their faces.

"Forever?" Caterin asked. Jack looked at her and she elaborated. "For all seasons? You will never die?"

"I die," Jack said to her. "But I come back, as you saw yourself." He was getting depressed talking about it and unconsciously let out a heavy sigh. Nicolaren noticed and changed the subject after saying something in a rapid fire aside to his sister.

"Enough," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It grows late and we have a long day tomorrow. Jack, would you come with me out on my rounds tomorrow?" Jack was happy to agree and the conversation went onto other topics. Once the evening meals were over the families seemed to drift off on their own, though the younger unattached adults moved to the other side of the cove to talk. Someone was playing some sort of musical instrument and Jack listened as it drifted across the water to him.

"I do not wish to keep you from the others," he finally said to them. He could see that Caterin was wistfully staring across the water as if she wanted to join in. She twitched as if startled and shook her head. "It looks like they are having fun," he said.

"Children," Nicolaren said with an obvious note of disdain in his voice. He waved them off. "They play at games. It is not of interest." Jack saw that Caterin ducked her head. It was obvious that she didn't agree but she didn't want to argue with her brother.

"It sounds interesting to me," Jack said. Nicolaren shrugged. Jack decided to take it a step further. "Caterin, would you like to accompany me over and perhaps introduce me? I love the music and would like to hear more." She brightened up at the idea and after a quick glance at her brother who seemed disinterested, nodded in agreement.

"If you wish," she said shyly. Jack slipped off of the rock ledge he had been perched upon and reached out a hand to her. He wasn't sure what the social mores were in this world, but he felt that he should at least offer the escort. She ducked her head but didn't object to placing her hand in his.

"We're off then," Jack said over his shoulder. Nicolaren nodded, but was looking over Jack's shoulder towards a group of elders who were in a deep discussion with one another. By the time Jack and Caterin were making their way across the cove, his friend had already moved into the other conversation.

"Why is it that he disapproves of the younger tribe members?" Jack asked as they made their way across the water. It was at a leisurely pace compared to the way he had traveled with her brother and Jack found himself intrigued by the woman at his side. In the dim light of the cavern her hair was darker than normal and Jack peered around the curtain of hair that fell over her should to see her face.

"He thinks that they dawdle and should be concentrating on other things," she said with a slight shrug. She hung back a little and Jack slowed his strokes to match her pace. The warm clasp of her hand against his own was a welcome touch and he realized that it had been a while since he had just been able to do something that was once so normal – that of holding hands with someone.

"Sometimes you need to relax and just enjoy yourself though," he commented as they approached the group of joking young adults. "It makes life better if you can find joy in things."

"I agree," she said with a smile. They didn't speak further although he tugged her a little closer so that their shoulders brushed up against one another. He could smell her scent, which had a touch of fresh air and whatever she had been cooking earlier, and he just let himself relax in being with someone else and not having any demands on anyone else. When they reached the group, Caterin introduced Jack to everyone and paid close attention as he tried to fix the face to a name for each of them as she went around. They were too many for him to remember at once, but with repetition he would get to know each of them. They were thrilled to include the couple in their songs and stories and although Jack didn't contribute much, he was happy to see Caterin so animated as she chattered away with some of the other young women.

He glanced thoughtfully back at her brother, trying to assess the siblings. Obviously she deferred to her brother's wishes, and Nicolaren seemed to be a young man who was older than his physiological age. It could be that since they were alone, he had gained maturity through the responsibility for providing for his sister. Looking back at the woman before him who was animatedly chatting with some of the others in the group, he could see that she yearned for the social interaction of the younger folks. He made a mental note to continue to help her do that, since he thought it was important. He got lost in his thoughts, wondering when he was going to find the other version of Ianto here. Already he was resigned to the fact that they weren't going to be compatible, but he knew he couldn't leave this place until he had met the other man.

"Is something wrong?" Caterin asked him curiously and her question startled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" He shook his head. "No, there is nothing wrong. Why do you ask?" She stared into his eyes for a long moment before reaching a hand to touch his cheek.

"You seemed a bit lost there for a moment. I could see sorrow on your face," she said softly. He glanced down, chagrined that his thoughts had been so evident to someone who barely knew him. "Do we make you sad?"

"No," he said, looking back upwards. "I was just thinking." He shook his head, determined not to dwell on the topic of Ianto. "It is nothing." He made a concerted effort to focus on the group and their interactions with one another. Soon he was able to banish the melancholy thoughts in his head, and it was late into the evening when the young ones finally began to disperse. Jack was surprised to see that many of the elders had left the main cavern, along with those with young children who had gone off to their separate spaces for the night. He surprised himself with a massive yawn which garnered some laughs from his new friends.

"I think it is time for sleep," he said sheepishly. The good thing about the evening was that he had rapidly picked up more words and his vocabulary was now a bit more complete. It made communication easier with the people in this reality and he was able to bid them a good evening. He offered his arm to Caterin, who accepted his escort back to their cavern home.

The two were quiet as they swam through the tunnels back to their assigned space. Jack was lost in thought as he moved through the water. He marveled at whatever property was in the water that prevented him from pruning. His skin remained normal, and the temperature was constant, which made him think that perhaps there was some sort of geothermal springs underground which made these caverns a good living area. Caterin was quiet beside him, respecting his silence.

"Did you have fun tonight?" He finally asked her when he realized she wouldn't speak first. He wasn't sure if it was just her personality or a cultural thing between the sexes.

"Very much," she said with a smile. "Did you enjoy it?"

"I did," Jack nodded. "I learned a lot speaking with Tankaran and Georan," he said, referring to the two young adults that he had been in a conversation with for most of the evening. It was from them that he had learned about the different relationships between the clan members as well as their views on social etiquette. It had been an enlightening conversation, since he had been curious about what the social norms were for family groups here. From the couple who were both males, he had found that it was a fairly open society where personal interaction was concerned, and that there were no social mores against same sex or group pairings, as long as each member of the tribe was productive to the group. In fact there were several large groups raising their children together as it made it easier for those who needed to leave the enclave to fish or tend the underwater gardens where they grew their produce. He found that the family dynamics for Nicolaren and Caterin were not the norm, but something that had occurred because they were separated from their relatives who were at the winter camp. Apparently Nicolaren was protective of his sister, much to her dismay.

"They are good fun," she said with a fond smile and Jack grinned. He had learned from the two men that both were interested in her as a mate and once he had realized that he had gently coaxed them off to one side of the group so that they could get to know one another better. Once she was out from under the watchful eye of her brother, Caterin blossomed. He had enjoyed watching her laugh and sing with the other young people and had felt a sense of accomplishment that he had been able to make her happy.

"They like you," Jack said and he was amused to see her blush. She was very attractive. All of the people of this world were that he had met so far. He thought it would be a good thing if she were to get together with the two younger men, though he wondered what her brother would think of that. He resolved to broach the subject subtly if he could the next day. Hopefully he hadn't caused any sort of incident by encouraging them to be together. He shrugged to himself. It was done, so whatever happened from here on out was out of his hands.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack quickly grew acclimated to the community, learning to help out where he could, and lending his skills to whatever task set before him. He went fishing with Nicolaren and the other young men who tended the traps. He had also gone out to the garden beds and worked there as well. They were doing the final harvest and preparing the grounds for the winter. Jack was noticing the chill in the water, but it wasn't at a point where it was uncomfortable. This area was part of a regular migration for the tribe, so they would return again and they left the garden area ready for the following spring. He also worked with the elders towards packing away the supplies in barges which they would take with them to their winter quarters. It felt good to be useful to the tribe, and he found himself enjoying the pace of their days. It was hard, bone tiring work, but he slept soundly each night and for far longer than he had in many years. He welcomed that, because it left him with less time to think.

It had grown into a habit for Caterin and himself to join the others after the evening meal, and now Nicolaren expected them to join the others. Jack had found that it wasn't that he was being protective, but that he just wasn't interested in what the younger people were doing, so had assumed his sister wouldn't be either.

The discussion that evening centered around the move to the winter quarters. Most were excited about it, though a few in the group expressed a bit of sourness regarding the other group. One thing in particular caught Jack's attention, which was the talk about some of the more eligible men who were at the other camp waiting for their arrival. Many of the younger members obviously had friends, family and objects of affection there and were eager to meet up with, so he found it curious that some weren't looking forward to the tribe getting together. He asked one of his friends about it and he said that sometimes a relationship soured and it was those people who had that experience who were not looking forward to the reunion.

By this time the group was so relaxed around Jack that they included him in much of their conversation. At times he found their questions about him to be startlingly frank, but he wasn't put off by their curiosity and used the opportunity to gain more knowledge about them and their cultures as well. One of the members of the group had brought out some fermented fruit juice and the more they drank, the more uninhibited they got. A couple of the men were entwined around one another and Jack could see that one was fondling the other's tail in an intimate fashion. He smiled, happy to see them relaxing in front of him. A glance to the side saw a trio together kissing one another, the male in the middle moving from one to the other of the young women in his embrace. It wasn't too long before he felt a hand caress his backside and he turned to smile at the young man who touched him curiously.

"You are so different," the man said, marveling at the smooth touch of Jack's skin as his fingers trailed along his flank. "No scales," he said in wonderment. Jack nodded.

"No, where I come from, we don't have tails or scales. At least, not my race," Jack said. He let the other man explore him, not reciprocating, though he did long to thread his fingers through the other man's hair. Parts of it were red, but it had had orange to yellow shades as it progress from root to tip that made him think of a sunset. The young man looked up from where he was examining Jack with surprise.

"There are other races that are different to you where you come from?" He asked. Jack nodded and he saw that it took him a moment to digest that. "Are there people that don't have skin at all but have just scales?" Jack nodded again. "They sound so different!"

"They are, Shaloren," Jack told his friend. He finally stopped resisting temptation and reached out to touch a lock of hair which floated on the water. "That's what makes life so interesting." The hair was incredibly soft. He had expected it to be coarse because of the salt water. He stroked it lightly, enjoying the tactile feel of it.

"Have you ever…" Shaloren hesitated, unable to find a way to ask the question he wanted to know. Jack had a good idea he knew where Shaloren was headed, but didn't try to help him out. While he liked the younger man and was fascinated by any of the people he had met, he wasn't really interested in starting a relationship. At least not with the people he had met so far, though Nicolaren or his sister both intrigued him. And of course there was Ianto, wherever he was in this universe. Jack stifled a sigh, knowing that the young man before him probably wouldn't know why he was feeling a bit melancholy this evening. Shaloren swallowed before continuing. "Have you ever been with someone from another race like that?"

"Yes," Jack said and the man looked up into his eyes for a long moment before nodding.

"Would you… with me?" The young man asked, finally taking the plunge. Jack smiled and tried to think of a way to gently let him down.

"I think I am a bit old for you, Shaloren. You should be with someone here, rather than an old man like me," Jack finally said. He saw the merman's face fall at his words and he reached out to stroke his cheek. The skin had a satiny feel to it. "I do like you, Shaloren, but I'm not sure if I am ready for what you offer."

"I understand," Shaloren said with a nod. Jack was relieved that he had accepted it the way he had and he pulled the younger man into a hug. He felt Shaloren's strong arms embrace him and hold him for a second before letting go. "I guess you yearn for another," he said. He glanced meaningfully across the water to where Nicolaren was repacking one of their barges with supplies. Jack followed his glance. The other man was a bit older than Shaloren, so it was a natural assumption for him to make.

"Maybe," Jack said. He knew that if Nicolaren were to offer, he probably would accept. He was strongly attracted to the other man. There was something about him that attracted Jack, though he knew the last thing he really needed to do was to make his life even more complicated than it was already. He barked out a laugh and Shaloren grinned, thinking that he was admitting that he was interested in the other man. Jack let him make that assumption before moving off. He made sure that he wasn't with any of the obvious groupings that had gotten together, but made his way over to the people who were still chatting together. He stayed on the edges of the conversation, but found his gaze moving back to where Nicolaren was working alone. He sighed. Yes, he was attracted to the other man. Shaking his head at his actions even as he did it, he bid the others farewell and said he was going to go help Nicolaren. He was mildly amused at the number of knowing glances he received in response. Apparently Shaloren wasn't the only one who thought the same thing.

Striking out from the group, he swam across the cavern over to where Nicolaren was working alone, tightening down their supplies. The plan was for the men to pull the ropes currently coiled in neat bundles to their destination. After having spent time with them, he knew that they were more than capable of doing so. This race was immensely strong, for all their gentleness.

"Done with the children for the evening?" His friend asked in a deceptively mild tone as Jack approached. The ex-time agent grinned. As quiet as he had tried to be, he still couldn't get close without Nicolaren knowing he was there. Jack leaned up against the side of the barge, resting his elbows on the flat surface to hold himself up.

"Things were degenerating a bit over there," he said noncommittally. The other man simply arched an eyebrow at him before glancing over and scanning the group. No doubt looking for his sister, Jack presumed. Jack knew that Caterin had actually gone off with Tankaran and Georan, though he wasn't going to divulge that information to her brother. "Anything I can help with?"

Nicolaren shook his head. "No, I am finished here." He arched his back and sighed. Jack knew it had been a long day for him.

"Why not go get some rest? I think you have earned it," Jack told him. Nicolaren shook his head and Jack got distracted by the way his hair shifted around his shoulders. "Why not?"

"I need to make sure that nothing will go wrong tomorrow," Nicolaren said, continuing to triple check the knots he had already checked several times before. Jack leaned his chin on his hand and watched his friend. In his personal opinion it was busy work. Everyone had gone off with their mates or with friends, and Nicolaren had kept himself apart from the others. Jack wasn't sure whether it was because of reticence or something else. After a few moments of following the merman about, he reached out his hand to stop his friend.

"Enough," Jack said. "You need to rest. We have a big day tomorrow and we need your strength. Come to bed." A moment later as Nicolaren glanced over at him he realized how what he had just said might sound to another. It was on the tip of his tongue to correct himself, but something stopped him. Something in the expression in his friend's face. Perhaps it was his own thoughts from earlier in the evening. So he met Nicolaren's gaze and said nothing.

"With you?" Nicolaren finally asked, as he glanced down where Jack's hand was still on top of his own.

"If you would like, yes," Jack said with a nod. They gazed steadily at one another before the other man broke out into a smile.

"I do not believe that would be considered resting," he finally commented. Jack chuckled ruefully. Definitely not, he reflected. He opened his mouth to say something else when the familiar voice of Elder Elloran called out to Nicolaren. The two men turned and Jack noted that the group of youngsters behind them began to scatter with the arrival of their tribal leader. He watched as the elder statesman for the tribe approached.

"Elder," Nicolaren said with a respectful nod of his head. Elloran returned the gesture, smiling absently at Jack before returning his attention to the young man before him. He spoke rapidly and Jack began to lose the thread of the conversation, his tired brain unable to keep up with the speed of the exchange between the two men. It sounded like just a final wrap up of plans for the next day, so he leaned against the barge and let himself drift. The sound of chuckling brought his attention back to the present and he opened his eyes to see the two men smiling at him.

"I think it is time to call it a night," Elloran said. He had wondered if Jack was going to slip off the edge of the barge and drown again. Nicolaren nodded amiably and jerked his head in the direction of their cavern.

"Come," he told Jack. Jack grinned and bid goodnight to Elloran before following Nicolaren through the entranceway to their home. It was their last night in the summer quarters and they would be off to meet the rest of the tribe in the morning.

When they got to their cavern, Nicolaren frowned when he didn't see Caterin already there. He gave Jack a look of inquiry and Jack shrugged.

"She probably decided to stay with friends," he said as a way of explanation. Nicolaren looked thoughtful for a moment, as if the concept were a foreign one before nodding in acquiescence. Privately, Jack was happy to see that she had finally decided to strike out on her own. He sighed as he pulled himself up on the sand and out of the water. Swimming was hard work and the constant motion to stay afloat had worn him out. On the plus side, he was probably in the best shape he had ever been in years. He collapsed back into the soft cushion that was his bed. His moan elicited a chuckle from his friend and he turned his head to grin at the other man.

"I guess this evening we really will just rest," he said. Nicolaren smiled and nodded.

"Indeed. Pleasant dreams, my friend," Nicolaren bade him as the two men settled down for the night. Jack smiled up at the cavern ceiling. He knew that probably the rumor mill would start amongst the younger set that they were together and he stifled a chuckle. Even here his reputation was enhanced and this time he didn't do anything to perpetuate it. After a few moments he could hear the steady breathing of Nicolaren slow down, and he knew it had been the right thing to do. The other man needed his rest. Jack rolled over on his side and stared at the man before him.

Nicolaren was stretched out, his head pillowed on his arm, hair fanned out around him in an arc. Jack rested his cheek on his arm as he perused the other man with his eyes. Nicolaren's face was relaxing into sleep, and his mouth was open slightly as he drifted further away. Jack smiled. Nicolaren had proven to be a good friend, and his acceptance had gone a long way towards having the rest of the tribe accept Jack as well. He closed his eyes. It had been a long day and tomorrow promised to be just as long. He reflected that he probably hadn't slept so much in years. Perhaps hard labor was good for the soul, he thought as sleep began to overtake him. Tomorrow they would move to the winter quarters and perhaps he would find Ianto there…


	7. Chapter 7

Jack woke up when he felt himself being shaken. Blinking blearily, he tried to focus on the face before him, but it was the brush of hair against his face that brought him back to where he was. Right, it was moving day he thought to himself as Nicolaren moved away after seeing that he was now conscious.

"Morning already?" He asked, his mouth dry. His question was met with a chuckle and a piece of pottery with fresh water was placed into his hand. He sat up and drank gratefully.

"It has been morning for some time," his friend replied. "I let you sleep, but now it is time for you to be up and about or we will have to leave you behind." His comment made Jack scramble into a sitting position and Nicolaren laughed outright at the expression on his face. "But we will not do that if you get up now."

"I am awake," Jack said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He slid into the water and ducked his head underneath in an effort to wake up fully. "Should have done it earlier," he admonished his friend.

"There was no need, and you were resting so peacefully," Nicolaren said with amusement. He watched as Jack shook the water out of his eyes. "Come."

"The first word I learned," Jack said as he obediently followed his friend out of the cavern without looking back. He grinned as he followed behind his friend, giving the other man enough room to maneuver his tail in the water. Nicolaren moved over to the side of the tunnel to allow Jack to match his pace and Jack pushed forward so that they swam side by side. He talked about what would happen that day as the tribe migrated across the ocean. Jack listened intently. He understood that this wouldn't be an easy journey and so would be taken in stages. He also explained how there were areas which were dangerous and that they would have to be careful as they traveled. Jack could understand that.

Their conversation was interrupted as they entered the central cavern and were met with a cacophony of sound from the various groups talking and working as they gathered. Jack blinked at the noise. It was so unusual for the tribe to be so lively that he felt a bit shell shocked by the level of sound. Nicolaren chuckled at his expression.

"Everyone is excited to start the journey," he commented as he surveyed the crowded waters before them. "Today we head towards our families and friends who have worked hard to prepare for us. It will be good to be on the move."

"So I see," Jack observed as a group of youngsters crowded past them and into the cavern, chattering excitedly and ignoring Nicolaren's admonitions to behave. "They are not listening."

"No," Nicolaren said with a sigh before turning to his friend and grinning. "I never did either as a youngling."

"You?" Jack said in mock disbelief. "Misbehave?" He laughed at Nicolaren's rueful expression. "I am shocked, my friend!"

"I think had you grown up here, you would have been the cause of much mischief," the merman said as way of reproach as they struck out towards the flotilla of barges. Jack chuckled in response as he stretched his arms in an effort to keep up with the speed of his friend's swimming. They slowed as they reached the center group and Jack could see Nicolaren scanning the area for his sister, a slight frown on his face.

"There," Jack pointed out to their left where Caterin was working with a group of women to secure their meals in small rucksacks for them to carry. Nicolaren's expression cleared as he saw that his sister was there and ready for their journey. He nodded and went over to where the tribal leaders were gathering. Jack held back, clearly feeling like he didn't have a place there with the council. He drifted over to where the younger men were gathered and they welcomed him with friendly nods. Several of them gave him sly glances which he ignored. Let them think what they wanted; perhaps it would enhance both of their reputations. He turned away and grinned at the idea.

A motion from Caterin grabbed his attention. He looked over and saw that she was waving for him to come over to where she was. Nodding amiably at the young men, he struck out towards the shore where she was with the others.

"Good morning," he said as he slipped into position beside her. He was proud of himself for being able to stop before hitting the ledge as had been his wont before he had learned the skills of swimming in the heavier saline water of this world. She smiled serenely at him and offered him one of the fresh fruits that they had harvested from the sea floor bed the day before. He bit into it eagerly, enjoying the succulent flesh of the gourd. It always amazed him that something so sweet could come from a salt water environment, but the fruit was very refreshing and delicious to eat.

"A lovely morning indeed," Caterin replied. "I thought you might be hungry," she said as she watched Jack close his eyes at the taste. "There is more if you want it."

"Thank you," Jack said, trying to slow down so as not to appear too greedy. "Did you have a nice time last night?" Caterin looked down and nodded shyly before looking back up again. "Good. It is about time." She laughed at his comment and handed him a rucksack to sling over his shoulder. He felt the weight bump against his shoulder and knew she had given him more fruit to eat whenever he wanted.

A horn sounding stopped all conversation and everyone turned as one towards the sound. One of the other fisherman – Jacoren, Jack thought his name was, pulled the horn away from his mouth and gestured towards the barges.

"We begin," Caterin said. "First the elders will bless the flotilla and then we will begin." Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Finally, we will be off."

"You seem to be looking forward to it," Jack said and she nodded. "Is there anyone special waiting for you?"

"The rest of our family," Caterin said. "Our mother is part of the group that has been working hard to prepare the winter quarters, along with some cousins and friends that I have missed. It will be good to see them."

"I am sure it will be," Jack said warmly, returning her smile. They turned as someone called their names and Jack saw that it was one of the wives of Elder Elloren. "I guess it is time."

"Yes," Caterin nodded. Jack picked up the strings that were tied to a series of baskets that held the stacked rucksacks. Caterin gathered some more while others around them did the same. Together they moved in a group towards the center area where the barges were. Jack looked around, a bit wistfully. His things were packed along with the belongings of his friends so he knew that they would be safe. While he didn't have any intention of leaving just yet, it was a comfort to know that he had the means to do so. He smiled wryly. Already these people had wormed their way under his defenses and stolen a place in his heart. He glanced around the group, seeing faces that were now quite familiar to him in the weeks that he had been there. They were friends and had become much more than that. They were family. He blinked, feeling a surge of emotion for these people. They had taught him much, had taken him in from what could have been a permanent death (at least for him) and had nurtured his education of their language and customs. He felt like he belonged, as different as he was from them, and he looked forward to the journey ahead of them.

With another blast of the horn they were off, the strong men pulling on the ropes that would propel the barges forward. Jack joined in, not that he thought it would make a difference, but because every hand could help, and it made him feel like he was contributing to the communal effort. Shaloren grinned at him from where he was pulling his own rope.

"Do not tire yourself out, Jack," he warned with a glint in his eye. "We would not want you to be too tired for other things, after all." Jack snorted in response as he heard some of the other young men chuckle at Shaloren's implication.

"Worry about your own stamina," he retorted. "I believe Eliselin would not appreciate it if you were to pull the wrong muscle," he finished to an uproar of laughter from the others. Ahead of them he saw Nicolaren's head pop up and glance back at them, but since they were keeping in line with the rest of the barges he went back to what he was doing. Jack grinned.

The day was long, and though they slowed to take breaks, they never stopped pulling the barges. If someone needed to rest, they had the option of climbing up on the barges, or could use the net slings that were attached to some of the barges. These were smaller nets which were attached to points of the raft where a person could rest while still in the water. It proved quite popular with the children, who each wanted to try it. Jack smiled as he watched one woman admonish the children who were squabbling over a place and talking over who had a right to try it next. At the moment he was resting himself, his arm looped through the ropes threaded through the hollow wood that made up the barge. As they moved he could feel the steady change in the temperature of the water. He hadn't realized that it had actually grown cooler in the few weeks he had been there, but as they progressed in their journey, he noticed the change.

He chatted with some of his raft mates about the journey and their own expectations, fascinated by this world and how the people lived here. He had been to non-technological worlds in the past, but never stayed for long. Back in his time agent days it was usually because he was there fixing something or preventing something from happening. He suspected that if his former self had been stuck on a planet such as this he would have gone bonkers. But after the experiences he had had since, he found he had a deep appreciation for a world such as this one. There was something so appealing about this life that he found himself not wanting to leave it, even knowing that should he meet Ianto they were already fated to be incompatible and a merman was not someone he could bring back to his own reality.

He stared up at the sky as the barge moved along, trying to imagine what Ianto would be like in this parallel universe. He was so lost in thought that he had blocked out what was going on around him until a nudge brought his attention back to the present. He looked over and saw Karakin swimming by the side of the barge and looking up at him.

"Hi," he said as he sat up. He was surprised to see that it was getting late and that most of the barges seemed to be clustered together. Perhaps it was their stop for the night, he thought to himself.

"Food is ready," Karakin said and Jack thanked him. He had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he had totally missed the call for the evening meal, as well as the tying of all of the barges together into one cluster for the evening. Grinning ruefully, he dropped himself down into the water, noting that it was even warmer than before. It looked like most of the men were off fishing, as he could only see the women and children about. He looked around and after locating Caterin, headed over in her direction.

"Anything I can do to help?" He offered. She smiled as she looked over her should before shaking her head.

"I thank you, but no," she said as she prepared some root vegetables. He now knew the names for them from his language lessons and teased her by sneaking a hand around to grab some to nibble on, deftly evading her swat, halfhearted though it was. "Stop it, or you will get none!" Jack grinned at her. "Are are just as bad as my brother!" She exclaimed in exasperation.

"I will take that as a compliment then," he told her as he munched on the bits he had been able to take from the cutting area. She pretended to grumble about him, but he could tell it wasn't serious. He leaned against the barge by her side and looked around curiously.

"I see we are stopped for the night," he observed. She nodded, not replying to the obvious. A moment later Nicolaren arrived with the evening catch. Jack watched as Caterin deftly deboned the fish and prepared it for their meal.

"So, what tales have you been spinning, Jack?" Nicolaren asked, slanting him an amused glance as he rested his muscled forearm on the edge of the barge. "I have been hearing all sorts of stories today." Jack stared at his friend for a moment with a confused look on his face.

"Me?" Jack finally responded. "I have not said anything, story or otherwise today. Though," he paused and thought about it as he grabbed one of the vegetables that his friend had purloined from Caterin, much to her disgust, he continued his thought. "I think that if anything my reputation has been enhanced by association with you."

Nicolaren roared with laughter at Jack's comment. "As well it should, my friend!" He clasped Jack on the shoulder. The two men bantered back and forth until the meal was ready. Caterin had become pretty exasperated by the two of them at this point and left them to their own devices. She went off to where a group of young folk were gathered and her brother watched her for a long moment before shrugging and returning his attention to his friend.

"She has changed," he said as he took some more fish and ate it.

"It is good for her to be around the other young people," Jack noted. Nicolaren shrugged again. He thought them a bit too immature for his notice so didn't see why anyone else would want to be with them. Their conversation went onto other topics, such as their progress for the day and how far they had to go. Jack asked about their destination and what the people were like there. Nicolaren described the location as well as some of the people whom he knew were waiting for them. Jack was feeling a shiver of anticipation, knowing that they were getting closer to this world's incarnation of Ianto. The more he thought about the other man the more he focused on what their meeting would be like. He was coming afraid that he was building it up in his mind so much that the reality would be a bitter disappointment. He hoped he was wrong, though. He did learn that it would be another two days before they were close to their final stop.


	8. Chapter 8

Those two days flew by for Jack as he helped his friends with the transportation of their worldly possessions to its new home. Each day was long as they worked to pull the barges through the water. There were a couple of close calls with large sea creatures, but the young men of the tribe were able to fend off any potential attacks. Luckily for them the larger denizens of the deep were only curious and not truly hungry or they would have potentially had a problem on their hands. Jack had only caught a glimpse of one large body moving through the water and it had easily been about three times the size of the largest creature he had seen on Earth. He was glad they didn't have to do too much in terms of protecting themselves past the occasional encounter, though.

It was on the morning of their fourth day of travel that Jack noticed that the land mass on the horizon was now far larger than it had been the day before, and obviously the area that they were heading towards. He was glad for the work they had to do which kept everyone focused on their tasks, though the children were getting more excitable the closer they got. He reflected on the journey and how much he himself had changed. He was now tanned a dark bronze, his exposure to the sun turning his skin a deeper shade. His friends teased him, asking if he were done and whether they could now eat him since he had turned color. He made his own comments back to them which generated bouts of laughter amongst the group. Now that they were close to their final destination, however, the joking subsided in favor of everyone giving their all to the last push to get them to the winter quarters.

Nicolaren told his friend that the land mass was a series of extinct volcanoes and it was within their caverns that they would find their new home. Jack nodded, understanding that the geothermal hot springs that could be found there would be perfect for the tribe in the colder months. He craned his neck to see where they were going, but at the moment they were skirting the coastline and all there was to see was empty beaches for miles as he scanned both directions across the horizon. It was when they were still a bit away from their final port that a shout was heard at the front of the group. Nicolaren cocked his head for a moment before smiling at his friend.

"Contact has been made," he said with a smile of satisfaction. "We will be there soon." Jack nodded and looked ahead, but the flotilla of barges blocked his view from seeing anything meaningful. He did notice that they had picked up speed as if being so close was an inspiration to spur those pulling the barges into moving faster so they could be done with their journey. Jack added his muscles to the job as well and was side by side with Nicolaren when they passed the last rock formation that protected the winter quarters cove.

Jack gazed around as they entered the harbor area, curious about the new people that he was going to meet. Several of the younger members abandoned their barges to rush ahead to meet relatives and friends. Jack could see Nicolaren frowning but he really couldn't blame them. The excitement was palatable as everyone got caught up in the reunion with the rest of the tribe. Jack held back, not wanting to interfere with what was going on.

The whole winter quarters group had come out at the news that the rest of the tribe had finally arrived. Several of them looked at Jack curiously, not recognizing him, but they didn't approach him where he was near one of the barges. He hung back, feeling like a third wheel and not wanting to get in the way. But he avidly kept track of his friends and their own personal reunions, smiling when he saw families reunited again. Their obvious joy was heartwarming. He found he had grown quite attached to the people of this planet, and that he enjoyed the simpler life they led here. It was a balm to his soul after what happened in his past. There was something to be said for living without technology, he mused.

A voice called out his name and he turned to see where Nicolaren and Caterin were with some other people. Nicolaren nodded to him and gestured for him to come over. He headed in their direction, curious about the people who had greeted them. These people were his friends' family and he wanted to get to know them better.

"This is our foundling Jack," Nicolaren said by way of introduction as he approached. Three sets of eyes turned in his direction and for the first time in a long time Jack felt self conscious about himself as they stared at him. There was an older woman with silver hair who stared at him without blinking for a long moment before turning towards Caterin and saying something too rapid for him to follow. Caterin replied just as fast and Jack lost the exchange altogether. He turned his attention to the second merperson. He was an older man and Jack wondered if he was mated to the woman, though his conjecture was dispelled when he put his arm around Nicolaren and pulled him against his body in a close hug, his touch indicative of a more intimate relationship.

"Welcome, Jack," the man said as he smiled at the stranger before him. "My andraren tells me that he found you dead on one of his traps. You look in remarkable health for a dead man."

"Thanks," Jack said with a grin while he filed away the term that the man had used to refer to Nicolaren. It sounded like an endearment of some kind. He observed his friend's body language as he leaned into the other man with a smile on his face. It made Nicolaren look much younger than normal. The man had long brown hair with streaks of grey. His eyes were grey as well and they crinkled into well defined laugh lines as he smiled at the newcomer. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"This is Rhylarin," Nicolaren said. "It was his job to ready our winter quarters for us." Jack nodded and turned towards the third member of the party who had been quiet. She was a young woman with shimmering gold hair and light colored eyes. Jack was wondering who she was when Rhylarin put an arm around her and pulled her against his other side. She smiled impishly up at him before leaning across his chest to give Nicolaren a kiss.

"This is Bellaron," Rhylarin said as he watched in amusement. "Our candorith." Jack wasn't sure what the term was, but assumed it signified some sort of personal relationship. Bellaron peered through the hair over her face at Jack and smiled. Looking down, Jack could see that the three had their tails entwined with one another.

"We will not see you three for the rest of the day," Caterin teased. She pulled away from the older woman and approached Jack. "I am sorry Jack, this must all seem confusing to you." She reached out her hand and he let her pull him towards the silver haired woman. "This is Allorith, our mother," she said by way of introduction.

"Hello," Jack said with a nod.

The woman tilted her head to one side and regarded him for a long moment. "Is it true what my son said, that you were dead? How is that so?"

"It is because of something that happened to me a long time ago," Jack told her. "But it is true." She nodded slowly as she considered his words.

"It must be hard for you then," she observed. Jack looked down, not wanting to admit to the truth of her observation. After a moment she extended her hand to him and he took it lightly. "You are welcome here in our home, Jack."

"Thank you," Jack responded. He watched as the others chatted for a bit, not feeling so much the outcast with their warm welcome. He did find himself scanning the group, looking for a familiar face that he didn't see. He began to wonder if there was a version of Ianto in this world, or perhaps he had to go further afield to find him. He was lost in thought about it when Nicolaren and Rhylarin pulled away to go begin the task of unloading their barges into their new home. Jack volunteered to help but they demurred, telling him he had done enough and that it was now time to rest.

"Perhaps you should go with Allorith and get settled," Rhylarin suggested. Jack was torn, because he felt like he was slacking off if he didn't help them, but they were insistent that he relax. He finally acquiesced, knowing that they could probably move much faster without him. He followed Caterin, Allorith and Belloran out of the harbor and into a passageway that led under the volcanic rock formation of the island. Jack was curious about exploring the area above the water, just to see what was there. He resolved to do so at some point and scout the area out for the people since they couldn't do it themselves.

Soon they were in a complex series of tunnel connections and Jack felt the temperature rise considerably now that they were underground. He listened while Caterin and Belloran chattered back and forth, mostly sharing information of what had been going on while they were separated. It left him swimming alongside Allorith, who glanced at him curiously as they went along.

"You have no tail," she observed as he kicked his legs, noting that he did very well without one for the most part. "It is strange to see."

"I guess I am unique in your world," Jack told her. He gave her an abbreviated version of how he came to be in this world which she accepted without question.

"And everyone is like you where you come from?" Belloran asked. She had been listening while they had been talking.

"Not exactly. There are other races in other worlds who are as different from me as that rock would be," he said as he pointed to a rock formation sticking out of the wall. "There are many different types of people, all looking different from one another." He grinned as Belloran stared at the rock for a moment and tried to think of it as another type of person.

"Truly?" She asked. He nodded. "That is amazing." Jack wondered briefly if he was screwing things up by telling them these things, but then decided it didn't matter anyhow. They weren't at all close to having any kind of technology to find out for themselves so either they would take it at face value for what he said or dismiss it as a tale.

He noticed a growing light different from the algae that he had gotten used to and realized that they were coming out into an area that was exposed to daylight. They came through the mouth of the tunnel they were in and he found himself in the middle of a sea lake surrounded by what had to be blown out volcanoes. The landscape around them was jagged as bits of what was left of the chain stretched fingers towards the sky. This was obviously their central meeting area, as he noted from the same sort of set up that had been at the other camp where he had first arrived. This had a more permanent look to it, as well. The sky above them was a brilliant blue with streaks of orange and red as the sun passed beyond the edge of the volcanic rock. Allorith gestured for Jack to follow her and he did as they moved over to an area of beach to rest. The girls kept on chattering and she looked on them with amused affection as they caught up on everything that had been going on in the months that they had been separated.

"Did everyone from the tribe come out to greet us?" Jack asked. Allorith turned her head in his direction before shaking her head.

"No, there are some at work in the caverns over there," she said with an elegant wave of her hand, indicating another entrance that he hadn't noticed before. "Some of our group is involved in several projects that take their attention away from reunions." Jack looked over in that direction, wondering if Ianto was there, and what he would be like. "We will see them with the evening meal."

"I think they just use it as an excuse not to help with the unpacking," Belloran said with a laugh. Caterin obviously agreed and nodded as well. "After all, they are historians and the like. What is the purpose of that? It does not bring food to us!"

"Our history is very important, cheya," Allorith admonished gently. "The work that they do is what raises us above the glannon and hisrath. We are people, are we not? Our history is a teaching tool, and a reminder of where we came from."

"It is boring," Belloran said with a shrug, the movement tumbling her long hair over her shoulder. Allorith shook her head in rueful admonishment. "It is boring to me," the younger woman asserted.

"Someday you will see the importance it has for our people," the older woman told her. "And you will come to appreciate the efforts of the asharen." She saw that Jack looked puzzled at the term she used. "Is that not a word you know?"

"No, I am sorry," he apologized. "I obviously need to expand my vocabulary."

"I think you are doing quite well, Jack," Caterin said warmly. She came over and gave him a hug for which he was grateful. He had missed the warmth that a casual friendly touch could bring and relished in the closeness that he had found here with his friends. "I forget that you are still new to this world and our ways."

"I am learning," Jack told her with a smile. She nodded her agreement and he grinned at her. "So what is the asharen?"

"Our scholars, those who work to preserve our heritage," Caterin said. She brought him over to the ledge area they had been heading and he gratefully pulled himself up so he could sit and rest. As good as he had gotten in the time he had been here, the constant motion was draining, and he liked being able to sit back and relax. Swimming was hard work! "We also have those people who study the world around us and help us learn new things to help us." Jack nodded. It made sense.

Allorith went over to another area and began preparations for the evening meal. She called Belloran over to assist her, leaving Jack and Caterin alone. Other groups started to drift in and prepare as well. Jack saw that they were obviously putting together a feast, since the amount of food was much larger and more varied than he had seen in their own camp. When he questioned Caterin about it, she told him that this was an important meal, as it signified the first time the whole tribe had been together in some months. He asked her about the other unfamiliar words that he had heard and she explained both the terms that had been mentioned.

"Andraren is the term used for a mate who is male," Caterin explained before continuing on. "Belloran is their candorith, which means mated female, though in reality it means more than that. A candorith is also one who has born both andraren children." Jack blinked.

"Nicolaren has children?" He asked and Caterin nodded. "Were they here and not with you?"

"Yes, they are here. It is partly why Nicolaren was so grumpy while we were in the other camp," Caterin smiled. "He missed his family. They have a son, Jaranen." Jack smiled wistfully at the news. It was obvious that Nicolaren was besotted by his mates just from the short time he had seen them together. Caterin went on to explain that there was a group who cared for the younger children who were too small to be on their own. This allowed the parents to do their everyday tasks without having to worry about caring for a little one. It also explained why he hadn't seen any very small children in the fishing camp - they had all been left with the main camp which had gone on ahead to set up the winter quarters. Caterin went to help her mother and sister in law and left Jack to sit and take it easy. He was content to do so, feeling like he would be interrupting the women by insisting that they needed help.

He leaned back against the rock wall and let his mind wander. Was the Ianto of this world a historian? It would be very in keeping with the Ianto he had known from his world. Or perhaps he was a caretaker of the small children. Jack smiled. He was trying to picture Ianto with small children and just couldn't see it in his head. It didn't fit the man he knew, though he realized that the one in this world would probably be vastly different, even without the tail. He knew that there would be no hope or future for him with whoever this Ianto was, but he couldn't resist meeting him, anyhow. It was another aspect of Ianto, after all.

Caterin called him over to help and he obligingly did his regular task of peeling vegetables for her. They sat side by side working, used to this daily task and he easily fell into the others' chat as they caught up on what had been going on with one another while they had been separated. Belloran told Caterin stories about what Jaranen had been up to in the last few months as well as two other names: Dranan and Rhyllen, her two children with Rhylarin. Jack listened in, a smile on his face as they chatted. Together, his friends had three small children between them at least and he felt a wistful thought of his own lost offspring. Resolutely he banished those thoughts as being unproductive. Today was a day to celebrate, not wallow, he told himself sternly.

"Will everyone come to the feast?" Jack asked and the women nodded. He smiled in anticipation, feeling impatient about meeting the Ianto of this world. He was more than ready to do so, and was glad once their preparations were finished. He helped carry their offerings to the communal table that was floating on the water. The lake had gotten quite crowded as the crews finished unpacking their supplies and the now at strength tribe went hunting for the evening meal, returning with a large catch for them to eat. Jack had helped gut and prepare the fish, his growling stomach making his friends laugh. More people arrived and he began to see tiny children in people's arms. The caretakers had arrived, and perhaps with them the others who had been absent during the day. He craned his neck looking at the new faces.

"Those are the others," Caterin pointed out a group on the other side of the lake. "I will bring you over if you want." Jack shook his head. He didn't want to put her out. "It will be easier now than when the juices start to flow," she said with a teasing note in her voice. Jack laughed. He had already experienced their fermented juices and he understood what she meant. "Better now than later." With that, she tugged on his hand after calling to her mother that she was going to introduce Jack to the others.


	9. Chapter 9

Jack suddenly found himself reluctant to find Ianto now that the moment was at hand to be introduced to him. He was assailed with doubts about the encounter and began to worry that everything would go wrong. What if this world's version of Ianto hated him? What if there was something else about him that was incompatible, other than the merman having a tail? What if…. Jack resolutely shook his head, garnering an odd expression from Caterin. She had seen the conflicting expressions on his face and had wondered what was going through his head. He seemed eager to meet the new people, but at the same time hesitant about doing so. She had to admit there was much she didn't know about the man at her side, but there was something about him that made her want to take care of him. Maybe it was that he was the only one of his kind and alone. Or that he seemed to be looking for something that he hadn't found yet and she wanted to help him succeed in his search. Whatever it was, she wasn't sure, but she was determined to help him, since he had been so good to her at the summer camp. She tugged on his hand when she thought he was beginning to trail behind and pulled him along in her wake.

Jack smiled, not willing to argue with her based on the determined expression on her face. It took them no time to cross the waterway and soon they were in the midst of a group of laughing individuals and small cavorting forms who splashed them with water. Jack hung back a bit at Caterin greeted her friends before turning to introduce him. Some of the names went by too fast for him to remember, but he looked at each face intently, trying to recognize some familiar features.

He tried to hide his disappointment when he didn't recognize any of the faces. If this was the full crèche then Ianto was not one of the caregivers. He resolutely put the thought out of his mind as the small children circled him with curious expressions as they saw their first alien. Caterin laughed at the disconcerted expression she saw on his face, assuming he wasn't comfortable with children until one swam up and stared at him nose to nose. Jack blinked first which made his new friends laugh at the cross-eyed expression on his face. He broke the tableau with the child and grinned over at Caterin.

"I seem to have an audience," he commented. She nodded and smiled at him before introducing him to more of her friends. Jack tried to keep them all straight in his head, but he knew he would probably mix them up for a while.

"I hungry!" One of the little boys cried, which started an avalanche of similar calls from the rest of the children. A woman shooed the other children away from Jack when they started touching him. He didn't mind, and told her so, but she shook her head, and admonished the children. He let it be, knowing it was a teaching moment and that he shouldn't interfere.

"Ah!" Caterin said softly. Jack turned and peered in the direction in which she was looking. More people were coming out of another entryway. Jack felt his heart speed up. Caterin glanced over at him, but he wasn't paying attention. "Asharen," she commented. Jack nodded and watched as some people from the summer camp made their way over to greet some of the scholars. He was startled by tugging on his hand and looked back to where Caterin had threaded her fingers through his own and pulled on him. "Come."

Jack followed willingly, resolutely telling himself that there was no guarantee that there would be an Ianto equivalent here. Deep down though, he couldn't convince himself of that. Just the fact that the box brought him here was testimonial enough that there was a counterpart there.

They reached the outskirts of the group. The asheren turned as one towards Caterin and Jack. Jack blinked, but then realized that word about him had probably spread and that it would stand to reason that a group of scholars would be interested in someone not of their planet. A large golden haired man stared at him unblinkingly as Caterin moved forward to introduce him. She nodded in respect to the older man.

"Bedallan," she said softly. "You are looking well."

"As are you, mellora," the older man replied. Jack filed the word away as something he would have to ask about later. Now was not the time for a language lesson. The man turned his attention to the man behind her. Jack stared into golden eyes and felt like he was facing a lion. He tilted his chin up before inclining his head as a show of respect. A small smile played around the edges of the man's lips as he noted the slightly defiant gesture. "You have brought a stranger into our midst, mellora."

"Yes," she said with another nod. Several of the scholars were watching the interaction from behind what was obviously their leader. "We rescued him not too long ago. Bedallan, this is Jack," she continued and turned to smile at her friend. "He is from another world."

Bedallan stared at Jack for a long moment. "So I see," he observed, noting Jack's legs moving in an effort to keep himself afloat. "You are well come to our home, Jack."

"Thank you, Magrowan," Jack said, using the formal word for an elder that he had learned over the past few weeks. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Bedallan raised an eyebrow in response before nodding thoughtfully. He looked back at Caterin who was smiling at their exchange.

"He is a faster learner, I see." The scholar commented before turning back to Jack. "Tell me, Jack. Has our language been easy or hard for you to learn?"

"A little hard," Jack acknowledged. "But the children have helped a lot." Bedallan nodded as Karakin came over and stopped just short of where they were talking. He nodded to the elder and then turned to grin at Jack. He couldn't help but to smile back. They had formed a close bond over the last few weeks from their shared learning experiences.

"How is it that you came to be here?" A woman with long silvery hair asked from behind Bedallan's shoulder. She peered at Jack curiously and he suddenly noticed that all of the asharen were focused on him intently. It made him a little uncomfortable, but at the same time he could understand their curiosity. After all, he was the first stranger that any of them had ever met. It made sense that they would be curious about him.

"Where I come from we have a way of traveling between worlds," he said, keeping to the simplest form of explanation without going into details. "I was traveling and ended up here." Bedallan looked thoughtful for a moment as he considered the idea of traveling between worlds.

"I am intrigued by the idea of your travel and would be interested in speaking with you more," he commented. In unison the heads of the other scholars nodded. Jack suppressed a smile. He had a feeling that once they got started asking questions, they probably wouldn't stop.

"I would be happy to do so, Magrowan," Jack said with a nod. Their leader smiled and it seemed to be an unconscious signal to the others of the group. Several of them came over and started chatting to Caterin, though looking at Jack with curious looks on their faces. Karakin shook his head as they converged upon the couple and swam off with a saucy flip of his fin in Jack's direction. Jack didn't blame him one bit for taking off when he had the chance. Not that he minded the attention, but he knew he needed to be mindful about what he said so that he didn't unduly influence these people in a way that would change their timeline.

Jack tried to place names to faces, but there were quite a few people surrounding him. Although they were careful not to crowd him too much, the multiple conversations as some of them fired questions at them was beginning to make his head spin. And nowhere in the crowd that he had met so far did he see the familiar face that he was longing for. Jack resolutely turned his thoughts from that direction. Maybe he wasn't here, but Jack wasn't going to linger on it when he needed to be on his toes so to speak with this group of curious academics.

A horn of some kind sounded from somewhere behind them and the conversation paused briefly. Jack looked at Caterin who smiled at him.

"That is the call for the evening meal," she said and pointed over to the edge of the cove where one of the fishermen held a large shell in his hands. He lifted it again and blew into it, repeating the call pattern now that more people were paying attention. Caterin shooed the crowd from around them.

"Enough! We are not going anywhere, so you will have plenty of time to ask more questions. But we have been traveling for days and need to rest!" Many of the asheran blinked at her vehement declaration. Jack bit his lip to suppress a smile. Caterin was not the same woman he had first met several weeks ago. She had become more independent once out of her brother's shadow and he wondered whether this was something new since it seemed to startle those who knew her well. He was secretly pleased that perhaps he had helped her blossom into her own woman.

"Quite right, sheral," a voice said from behind them and Caterin turned to look over Jack's shoulder. She squeaked in delight and moved past Jack to greet the owner of the voice. Jack started to sink and he kicked his legs back into moving enough to keep himself afloat. He knew that voice. Had heard that voice in his head and coming out of a myriad of different faces over the past few months that he had been searching. He was afraid to turn around, unsure of what he would find, but he saw that the rest of the group had begun drifting away. He acknowledged the friendly waves as they went out into the cove to greet the other arrivals.

"Jack!" Caterin called out to him and he knew that the moment was finally at hand. "Come and meet my sheren," she said. Jack smiled at the note of joy in his friend's voice. It should come as no surprise that the Ianto of this world would be someone special. As he turned in the water he puzzled over the two new terms he had just heard. Obviously they were gender related. He had found that their language had odd compartments. There was the children's language, which was what he first learned, and which was a more simplistic form of the language. Then there more formal words that were dependent upon the group one was in. It had made his head spin for a while until he had gotten the hang of it. It was times like this that he realized that he had only scratched the surface in regards to this group of people and understanding them.

All of these thoughts flitted through his head as he turned around. Floating next to Caterin was a dark-haired man. His eyes were a startling blue in contrast. The face was very familiar, even with the longer hair that this race tended to have.

"I want you to meet my friend Jack," Caterin said as she looked at the man by her side. Jack blinked as he saw the very familiar way that their bodies were oriented towards one another. Oh, he thought to himself as a knot formed in his midriff. It hadn't occurred to him that perhaps Caterin also had someone that she was close to here in the enclave. "Jack, this is Eointaran. He is my sheren," she continued. Jack nodded dutifully, acknowledging her introduction while trying to think of something to say that would be suitable.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Jack finally said. He found himself at a loss for words now that the moment was at hand. He sounded out the name in his head and smiled. Still at the core, it was Ianto, despite the extra syllables.

"The pleasure is mine," Eointaran said. He tilted this head to one side and stared at Jack for a moment before turning back to Caterin. "Sharel, you find the most interesting things in your travels, do you not?" Caterin gave a delighted laugh as she wrapped her arms around the man's shoulders in a hug.

"You will need to speak to my brother about that," she said with a wave of her finger in his direction. "Nicolaren discovered him on the ocean floor, dead to the world."

Eointaran returned his gaze back towards Jack, who met it squarely. He was still feeling very unsure of the relationship dynamics so decided to take it one moment at a time. Even if this man was available or interested, there was no guarantee that anything would happen between them, Jack sternly reminded himself. "Well, you have certainly brought an interesting puzzle to us, Caterin," he finally said. "Jack, you are the first person we have met who is not of our race. To say that the asheran are curious is a bit of an understatement."

Jack grinned, knowing that probably there wasn't a group of academics around who could resist the lure of something new and different to explore. He knew that once he arrived he probably would be subjected to some lengthy investigations by the tribe's scholars. If it meant spending more time with the man before him, he wasn't going to be complaining about it.

"I am at your disposal then," he nodded his acquiescence, knowing that there would be the request to examine him and giving it without being asked. "But first, the feast," he continued with a nod in the direction of where the crowd had gathered on the other side of the cove.

"Mmmm," Eointaran mused as he turned to watch the large group. "I would be happy to forego that."

"Oh no you will not!" Caterin exclaimed sternly. "Tonight is a night of celebration, not hiding your nose in a scroll somewhere!" She scolded and Eointaran watched her with amusement. Jack had the feeling that there was some untold story between them. The more he watched how easy Caterin acted around the other man, the less regret he had that they were together. The obvious joy she expressed in the other man's presence wasn't something he could begrudge.

Eointaran caught what he thought was a wistful expression on the other man's face. He looked back at Caterin and wondered if this Jack had feelings for her. He grew thoughtful as he considered the possibility of one of the people mating with someone from another race. Some of his thoughts were purely analytical, but others were protective of the woman by his side. In his mind, such a relationship might cause more harm than good.


	10. Chapter 10

Together the three of them made their way into the midst of the festivities. Nicolaren greeted them with the largest grin that Jack had ever seen. Gone was that stoic and serious man that he had known and he had been replaced with someone who seemed years younger.

"Sheren!" Nicolaren called as he and Eointaran clasped hands before pulling one another into a hug. "I see my sister was able to pull you away from your studies. No mean feat, I might add!"

"Not at all, not when you bring such intriguing gifts with you," Eointaran laughed. He turned towards Jack and gestured. "And this one is quite intriguing." Nicolaren laughed and leaned towards the other man, saying something in a low voice that Jack couldn't catch amongst all of the other conversations going on around them. Caterin swam over to him and pulled him away from the two men, telling him that there were yet more people to be introduced to.

Where the hours flew, Jack would wonder later. There was a sea of faces that passed by over the course of the evening, and he had realized that he was never going to be able to keep up with everyone that Caterin or her brother had introduced him to. It was with some relief that at one point he found himself next to his old friend from the enclave evening gatherings.

"Jack, you look tired," Shaloren said with a sympathetic grin. "Try some more of the hallan," he suggested as he lifted a gourd in Jack's direction. Jack fended him off with a tired chuckle.

"No, any more of that my friend and you will have to revive me after you retrieve me from the ocean floor again," he replied with a shake of his head. Shaloren shook his head and took a long swig from the gourd.

"Your loss, my friend," he said as he wiped his mouth. Jack nodded, but didn't reply. He was just happy to be seated out of the way and no longer swimming. His body was aching by this time of night. Even with the weeks of working out, he couldn't always keep up with the constant motion to stay afloat. He leaned back against the shale wall and watched the party around him. Most of the children were gone, having drifted off to wherever they went for the night. Quite a few of the younger parents were gone as well. Off to one side the elders were meeting with those who had stayed at the winter quarters. No doubt catching up on all the news, Jack knew. He had seen quite a few curious glances in his direction over the course of the night.

Jack looked around for his friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. He knew that if it were him, he would be off reacquainting himself with his loved ones, and no doubt both Nicolaren and Caterin were doing that with their mates. He frowned thoughtfully.

"You look befuddled," Shaloren stated in a serious tone that denoted he was bordering on being inebriated and was trying hard to appear like he was not. Jack chuckled. Some things never changed, no matter the race. "Is it that Nicolaren has gone off with Rhylarin and Bellaron?"

"No," Jack said with a smile. It was obvious from the joy those three shared that Nicolaren's homecoming was most welcome. He was pleased to see that his rather serious friend had changed in the presence of his mates. He had looked a lot younger as he had cavorted with Bellaron earlier in the evening while an indulgent Rhylarin had watched from the sidelines. "It was good to see them together." Belatedly he remembered that Shaloren had mistakenly thought he was interested in Nicolaren and wondered if he was feeling left out. "It is obvious that they have a deep bond with one another."

"Yes," Shaloren said. "Nicolaren and Rhylarin have been together for many seasons. It has only been recently that Belloran has joined them as their candorith. Everyone could see that they would make a good triad, but it took the other two longer to realize it themselves." He chuckled when he thought back on some memory. Jack was content to wait for him to continue. "But she was able to convince them it was for the best."

"Indeed," Jack said. He was feeling sleepy, the warm water of the cove lapping against his waist. It was lulling him into somnolence, even without partaking of the fermented juice that Shaloren was drinking. Somewhere across the water laughter drifted over to them. Jack smiled. It sounded like Caterin and he found himself feeling happy at the sound. It did bring to mind a question he wanted to ask his friend, though. "Shaloren?"

"Yes?" Shaloren was leaning against him at this point with an arm around Jack's shoulders. They rested against one another, Jack feeling very comfortable.

"Could you explain to me the terms sheren and sharel?" He was pretty sure he knew what they meant, but also knew that there were times when he had made assumptions about the language and had been wrong.

His companion was silent for a moment as he considered a way to explain the terms to his friend. "You know that even though we have family matings that often the children are raised by a group, especially when their blood relatives work for the good of the tribe?" Jack nodded his understanding. Creches were a common form of raising children in many civilizations. Once Shalaren saw that Jack was following his explanation, he continued. "Usually the children of such groups form a tight knit bond, as if they were siblings. Often they are related by blood in some way, perhaps each having a parent who is a sibling to one another. But even if not, it is something that follows through to adulthood." He peered as Jack to see if he understood the explanation.

Jack was filled with an immense sense of relief when he realized that it meant that Caterin and Eointaran were not referring to a romantic relationship with one another. It was more like a cousin relationship, he thought, though there didn't seem to a term for that in this language. Perhaps that's where sheren and sharel came in – words to signify a type of relationship with one another that didn't exist by blood or mating. He could see that Shalaren was staring at him curiously and he wondered how much of what he was feeling showed in his face.

"Thank you," he finally replied. "Earlier this evening Caterin introduced me to a member of the asheran, referring to him as her sheren and I wasn't sure of the meaning of the word." Shalaren's puzzled look cleared at his response.

"That would be Eointaran then," he said. At Jack's nod he tilted his head back and drained the last of the alcoholic fruit drink out of the gourd in his hand. He stared down at it mournfully for a long moment as he realized it was empty and Jack had to stifle a chuckle at his expression. A moment later he shrugged and tossed the gourd into the water. It sank from view to the floor bottom where it would degrade into elements that would feed the organisms living in the water. Jack idly wondered if they could get inebriated off of the remaining dregs of the fruit juice and finally let a chuckle escape at his thought.

"What do you know of Eointaran?" He asked, hoping his question didn't sound too eager to his friend. Shalaren shrugged and pulled Jack closer. Jack leaned into his embrace, content to feel the touch of another. It had been too long since he had been intimate with anyone and certainly no one here in the weeks since his arrival. He felt Shalaren's tail twine around his legs and he smiled. He had no interest in the younger man, and there was no way he would pursue one with him, but he was glad for the companionship at the moment.

Shalaren chuckled as well, bringing Jack's thoughts back to the question he had just asked. "Eointaran was always the quiet one of that group. Leave him with a scroll or something to study and he would have sat by himself for all of eternity, just happy to sit and think about it. It was Nicolaren who pulled his tail, so to speak," he slanted a glance at his friend to see if he was listening. Jack was proving to be a good audience, so he continued. "Now, Nicolaren! That one was the troublemaker! He acts all proper now, but he was an imp growing up! Got us all into all sorts of difficulties with the elders! And the more Eointaran tried to avoid our little escapades, the more Nicolaren dragged him into them."

"Were you also in the same pod as Nicolaren and Caterin?" Jack asked, curious. He had thought his friend was a good deal younger than the others, but had often seen large age differences between the younger children to bonded with one another.

"No, but my brother was, so often I would tail behind the rest," Shalaren responded with a fond smile of remembrance. "Many the time I was in trouble for sneaking out of sight of my largarin and going off with my sibling and friends. Sometimes I miss those days." Jack smiled sympathetically, understanding all too well the wish to return to simpler times.

He leaned his head back against the wall feeling a sense of contentment flowing through him. The knowledge that Caterin and Eointaran weren't in a relationship with one another other than one vaguely familial had lifted one worry off of his shoulders. He still knew that any long term relationship with the merman wasn't possible, but he found himself curious about this incarnation of Ianto and wanted to get to know him. Every time he met one of them, he learned more about himself and how he had felt about his own Ianto. It made him cherish those moments they had had together all the more, and actually reinforced those memories that he held onto. He smiled, thinking back on some of them now.

"Jack, are you falling asleep on me?" Shalaren asked, his breath tickling Jack's cheek. Jack nodded lazily. "Shall I take you to bed, then?" Jack chuckled. Even after the rebuffs of his earlier attempts at getting Jack to mate with him he was still trying. Jack had to give him points for perseverance. He opened his eyes, staring directly into his friend's who was mere inches away from him.

"The only thing I'm interested in for bed is sleep, my friend," he replied. "Shalaren, I love you as a friend, but that is all. Sorry." The merman grinned at him; not seeming bothered at all by Jack's gentle rejection of him once again.

"We are not meant to be, I do understand that. But you cannot fault me for trying." Shalaren stroked his tail against Jack's legs one last time before unwrapping himself from around his friend. "Come, let us find a place to sleep. And to only sleep!" Jack laughed and allowed his friend to pull him off the ledge and lead him into the caverns where they sought a place to rest for the night. The camaraderie he felt for each of these people and for the man at his side expanded upon his earlier feeling of contentment. It was nice not having to worry about subtexts or feelings by people that might be misunderstood. They were direct and accepted what one had to say at face value without problems. Jack appreciated that.

He slung an arm around his friend and together they went off to find a place to rest their weary bodies for the evening.

The next morning found Jack curled up against his friend, who was snoring as if dead to the world. Jack raised his head up and listened for a moment. He had his arm around Shalaren's waist and he rested his cheek on the other man's shoulder for a moment, just enjoying the touch of someone's flesh against his own. Shalaren was completely oblivious and Jack took his time extricating himself from the merman, not wanting to wake him. He smiled. This place was proving good for him; even though he knew that nothing long term would come from staying here. Eointaran was not someone he could bring back with him, even if he wanted to and was agreeable. At this point, he didn't even know if Eointaran would even be interested in him. Jack slipped into the water and ducked his head under the surface before surfacing again. He knew he'd always be interested in any form of Ianto that he met. It was inevitable, and in his DNA.

As he made his way out of the small cavern that he had slept in, he paused to get his bearings. He had been so tired the evening before that he hadn't been paying attention to which direction Shalaren had been heading, so just stopped for a moment and listened. The murmur of voices and the sound of laughter echoed faintly to his right led him to believe that he should head in that direction. He smiled to himself, resisting the urge to whistle. There was something about this place that resonated with him. Thinking back, he wondered whether he was always happier in a low tech world rather than the opposite. Even growing up in the 51st century, there was a certain low tech part of his upbringing in a colony world that made him appreciate those simpler things in life. And perhaps it was that he just thought about the destruction societies had brought about over time with the use of technology. He began to focus more inward as he swam, thinking about his long life and the different times he had lived in when he came out upon a clearing. The change in sound made him pause and he looked around. He was still underground somewhere, but this was obviously one of the spots that family units gathered away from the public area of the cove. He nodded amiably as he passed some women working off to one side and they paused in their conversation as they watched him cross through to the other side. He didn't miss the giggles after he entered the next passageway and he grinned. It was always good to be the center of attention, and he couldn't help but revel in it.

Chuckling to himself, he continued to make his way out in the direction which he hoped led outside. He came upon a couple of small gathering areas, nodding to people as he passed by. One such was a school group of some kind. The children were all paying attention to what one of the elders was telling them. He made his way through this cavern at a fast pace, not wanting to disturb their lesson, although he did see wide eyes following his progress. He continued onwards.

"Jack!" A voice called out as he paused at a junction, and he turned at the unfamiliar voice calling his name. It was the head of the asheran, and he found himself eager to meet with them again. It would give him another opportunity to meet Eointaran, and now that he knew that the man wasn't in a relationship with Caterin he was interested to find out if he was mated to anyone else.

"Bedallan," Jack said with a respectful nod of his head. The blond man smiled at him and reached out a hand in greeting. Jack clasped his forearm in the traditional greeting between equals and smiled. For a scholar, Bedallan's arm was just as muscular as any who worked the fishing nets for the tribe. "Bright tidings to you," Jack said, giving the traditional greeting to an elder.

"And to you, friend," Bedallan said. "I was looking for you. Have you broken your fast yet?" When Jack shook his head he gestured off to one side, in the opposite direction to where Jack had considered heading. "Please, come with me. You may eat with us, and help feed our curious minds as well as our stomachs."

Jack laughed at his offer and accepted it readily. It was after all, what he wanted as well. He followed the older man along the passageway, noting that he was being observed by his companion as they made their way along the waterway.

"You look curious," Jack commented as he swam surely along, kicking his legs to keep up with the man at his side. He reflected that he was probably in the best shape he had ever been in from all of the constant motion. It was second nature to him now, and he found that he didn't get as tired as he would have in the past. He was building up stamina and was pleased with himself.

"Seeing someone swim without a tail is a novelty," the Magrawon commented with a raised eyebrow. "It doesn't seem practical for being in the water, but you obviously do well with it. How did your people come to be like that?"

"It is said that we evolved from a water species and grew legs," here Jack used the English term since there wasn't one in their language for legs, "to walk on the land masses."

"Indeed?" The merman asked and Jack nodded. "I have often wondered what was on the land around us, but was never curious enough to get up onto it and look." Jack laughed, knowing how hard that would be for someone used to being in water all the time. Be turned his head at the sound of voices carried through to them nearby. Bedallan followed his motion and nodded. "That would be the asheran. I will warn you that we are quite curious and have been told that we can be tiring with our constant questions. If at any time you find you have had enough, you are to tell us and we will leave you alone. Well, for a short time until you have recovered," he amended with a twinkle in his eye. Jack laughed and a moment later they entered a large cavern. Jack looked around, curious as to what he would find.


	11. Chapter 11

The cavern had a large vaulted ceiling which reminded him of the one in which he had awoken after arriving in this world several weeks ago. The algae which provided illumination grew on the walls, tendrils of which stretched upwards like fingers reaching for the sky. They tapered off, leaving the top of the roof in shadow. He looked back down and saw that the walls surrounding them had pockmarked areas that looked to be storage. Some of the asheran were putting things in the holes in the walls, others taking some out and going over to a central table area where a few were working diligently on projects. Jack glanced around, seeing some familiar faces from the night before, but not remembering many names. There had been so many people introduced to him that they were all a blur after a while. He followed Bedallan over to one side where another smaller group was gathered.

"I have brought Jack here to speak with us. And he is to tell us when he is tired and wishes to see sunlight instead of our faces," he announced to the group. They nodded amiably and opened a space for the two men to gather and break their fast. Jack accepted a gourd with some juice in it. Wistfully he thought for a moment about a cup of coffee. Caffeine didn't seem to be available in this world, at least not in the products they could harvest from the water. He stifled a sigh and focused on the group chattering around him. Pulling himself up on a ledge after making sure he wasn't going to be in the way of some need for whatever documents they were storing in the cavern he sat back with some of the food that was passed to him and ate. Bedallan spoke, instructing the group of curious scholars about what was and was not acceptable to ask him. He wasn't bothered and told them that he was happy to answer what questions he could.

The asheran started on their inquiry, others drawing closer to the listen. It was the standard kind of things anyone would ask – how had he gotten there, why was he traveling, as well as how different his own world was from theirs. Jack was comfortable with their curiosity and was happy to answer their queries. They were a curious people and this lot especially so. He knew the moment when Eointaran joined the group, although he didn't ask any questions of his own. Jack watched him out of the corner of his eye, making sure that he wasn't so distracted that he couldn't answer any of the questions fired at him in rapid succession by the eager group around him.

His gourd was replenished over the course of the next several hours. Most of the conversation flowed easily until he got to some answer that required a technical explanation that he didn't have the words for in their language. Often those moments would have them discussing the best terminology to refer to the concepts he was trying to convey. It was then that the person he was most curious about spoke for the first time.

"Your people," Eointaran spoke and the discussion around them quieted down so that he could be heard. "Why do they need this… tech?" He sounded out the word that Jack had used, being unfamiliar with it. Jack had to admit that it sounded odd hearing him say it when compared to the melody tones of their own language.

"It is a tool," Jack explained. "Something we create because someone saw a need. Much like this cup," he said, holding up the gourd. "Other times to make life easier. You can catch more fish with your nets, no?" The group surrounding him nodded in agreement. "Another tool that was created due to necessity."

"But what you describe seems to go farther than that," Eointaran replied. He had moved closer so as to continue their conversation. "Things that do not seem necessary for the good of your people. Why create something that could harm someone else?"

Jack was stymied for a moment. These people had a very harmonious relationship with one another. He had heard no arguments, no fights with one another in the time he had been with them. It could be that it was because they spent so much of their time just surviving, but Jack knew that wasn't it. They had time for social interaction and it was just not in their nature to create conflict for one another. He normally would have answered "because they can" in a flippant way at one point, but he knew that wasn't the right answer to give a scholar.

"For gain of some kind. Because one tribe has something another group wants." Jack rubbed his eyes as he thought. "Because perhaps the original intention of the item was not meant to be harmful, but was turned into something that was."

"It does not make sense," Eointaran muttered, disturbed by Jack's answer. Jack started laughing and the merman gave him an annoyed look. It was so reminiscent of something his own Ianto would have done that Jack had to turn away in an attempt to stifle his laughter.

"My friend, there are many things that do not make sense in the universe. One would go mad trying to figure them out," he finally said, wiping his eyes at the tears that had formed there. He thought some more about a way to explain it. "Are there not other tribes in your world here?"

"Yes," the other man nodded. "We trade with them and sometimes we will inter mate for the good of our bloodlines. But there has never been a time when there would be a struggle, as you put it between us. There is no need and it would be detrimental for all of us to pursue such an action."

Jack stared at him for a long moment. This world was so idyllic that it made him ache to explain these foreign concepts to them. He didn't even want to put the thoughts in their heads that such things were possible.

"Our people are different," he finally said. By this time in the discussion several of the other scholars had drifted off to have a discussion on some of the other things that Jack had said. It sounded very animated, though too fast for him to catch more than a few words here and there. He hoped that he hadn't done anything to change the course of history for the people here.

"I do not think I would like to meet many more of them then," Eointaran said softly and Jack sighed as he rubbed his neck. He was feeling stiff from sitting for so long.

"That would be wise," he said. He was beginning to feel rather discouraged again, his good mood from earlier having dissipated under onslaught of questions which had brought up some of the memories that he would rather buried. He put the gourd down and allowed himself to slip off the ledge and into the water. It effectively stopped his conversation for a moment with the asheran, as he sank down a bit he let some breath out, creating bubbles which rose to the surface. He focused on the tail in front of him for a moment, realizing a moment later that it belonged to Eointaran. A feeling of defeat filtered through him. What was he doing here, he asked himself. What hope did he have here, other than to interfere, yet again, with someone else's life? He began to feel the burn of his lungs as they held in the air he had inhaled before dropping into the water.

His thoughts a moment later were scattered by the sight of two eyes blinking at him from under the water. Eointaran had ducked under the water to see what he was up to. His dark hair flowed behind him, moving away from his face. Jack stared at him, seeing more than ever the resemblance to his lost partner. The ache he felt then was more than that of the need for air. Eointaran blinked at him. This close to the other man, Jack could see the tiny gills on his neck that enabled him to filter the air out of the water. Another big difference. Jack closed his eyes, but knew he couldn't stay under much longer. Not unless he wanted to give them a firsthand demonstration of what it was like to come back from the dead. They had been quite curious about that as well. The thought of him dying yet again by drowning made him want to laugh. Abruptly his dark mood turned and he pushed himself back to the surface.

Inhaling fresh air, he automatically moved to keep himself afloat. Eointaran resurfaced as well, still looking at him curiously. He didn't have an answer for the other man and so said nothing. Someone else asked him a different question and the rest were off again, firing questions at him one by one which he answered. Interestingly enough, they all skirted the issue that had bothered him as if instinctively they knew that for some reason it was painful for him to speak of it. He didn't question their tact but accepted it gratefully.

Eventually Bedallan called most of the group away to do other work, leaving him alone with just a few of the asharen. Eointaran had moved off as well, and Jack felt a pang of disappointment upon his leaving. They had followed up their earlier discussion with yet another one on more philosophical level and Jack had enjoyed the mental sparring. Eointaran had a quick wit was he was allow to seep through in his comments as they debated. Jack had felt a growing rapport with the other man. At least he thought of it that way, though he had no way of knowing whether the merman was feeling the same sort of vibe. Putting the thought into the back of his mind, he concentrated on the other conversation around him as the others asked him about how his people recorded history. That involved a rather long and involved discussion that lasted until the evening meal.

It was with great surprise that he heard the evening horn sound the end of the day. Bedallan clapped his hands, declaring it was time to go out and enjoy the evening. Jack was still in a heavy debate over fishing strategies with another merman and Bedallan had to tap him on the shoulder to get him to stop.

"Enough! Time to enjoy the evening, to sit back and relax and to talk no more on such deep thoughts," he said. Jack chuckled. He wasn't sure that the conversation was deep in the least, but more that several of them had very set ideas that was being challenged by his existence. He followed the others out through the tunnels and out to the main cove area. Fires had been lit as it was overcast and they didn't have the light of the moon like they had had the evening before.

Jack was beginning to feel at home with these people as he was greeted by several people as he emerged and went over to the cooking area. He spied Caterin and after waving to the asheran he had been talking to all day, he headed over in her direction.

"Good eve," she called with a smile as she saw him approach. "Did you survive the madrawawal?"

"The what?" Jack asked her, not having heard the word before. She explained that it meant something about being the subject of many questions, and apparently was a term for a gathering such as what he had experienced all day with the scholars. He mentally translated that to the word inquisition and chuckled to himself. "Barely," he replied.

"Do not let them worry you into answering questions you think are best left unanswered," she cautioned him as she handed him a root that had been freshly washed and peeled. He had picked up Nicolaren's habit of munching on them before dinner, so she kept a supply to ward them away from the rest of the meal she was preparing. Jack accepted it with a word of thanks and bit into it, enjoying the rich flavor of the root. He offered to help her prepare the meal and she demurred, telling him that he had been busy all day and not to bother. He knew she got a lot of enjoyment by taking care of her menfolk as she called them, so he leaned back against the wall and just watched her putter around. Allorith came by and left her a basket of food. She nodded to Jack and gave him a pleasant greeting before taking another basket with her off someplace else. A short time later Rhylarin and Nicolaren's candorith Bellaron appeared with more food that she had been preparing as well. The two women chattered as they worked together. Jack watched them, his attempts to assist being rebuffed by both.

A short time later several small children cavorted in their direction. They had been on their way to pester the two women but stopped at the sight of Jack. He grinned. There was no mistaking whose children they belonged to. One little boy looked like Nicolaren in miniature, although his eyes were lighter in color. Definitely something inherited from his mother, Jack mused. There was another boy with dark brown hair and grey eyes who looked a lot like his father as well. The little girl was all Bellaron, with shimmering gold hair and an impish smile on her face. She was also the first one to approach him.

"Hello," she said as she drifted closer. Bellaron slanted an amused glance in the children's direction. Jack smiled at the little girl before him.

"Good evening shela," he said, using the term that was the polite greeting for an underage female. The younger of the two boys then moved forward until he was abreast of his sister and he tilted his head at Jack curiously. "And you must be Jeranan," Jack guessed. The boy blinked and the little girl giggled at the expression on his face.

"You are the stranger," the older boy piped up, not wanting to lag behind his siblings.

"Jack is our guest," Caterin admonished. She was keeping a close eye on the encounter. So far the children of their tribe had taken to Jack immediately. But this was the first encounter for the more sheltered younger children who had not yet been on one of their expeditions outside the greater pod.

"But he is different from us," the boy said. Bellaron smiled at her son and put the knife she had been using to cut their meal down onto the slab before turning and swimming over to the little group. She stopped next to Jack and gave him a reassuring smile.

"That is what makes him special," she replied and leaned in against Jack to show her approval of him. He appreciated the gesture, knowing that by doing that she considered him family. For a moment he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. He hadn't done anything to deserve that designation, but the mate of his friend readily accepted him as one of their own. "And you will treat him as one of us, will you not Dranan?"

The boy looked down for a moment and nodded, though his gaze was still focused on Jack's legs which were kicking to help him maintain his buoyancy in the water. The little girl broke the tableau by moving closer. Jack watched her, marveling at how she really did look like her mother. She stopped just short of the two of them and tilted her head to one side. Jack accepted her frank appraisal. Jeranan surprised him by ducking under the water, no doubt to get a better view of his non-tail difference. He resurfaced with a grin and a toss of his hair of out his eyes which were very reminiscent of his father.

"Is there something else wrong with you that your hair is not like ours?" He asked. Jack was thrown for a moment, expecting a totally different question based on the way the boy had stared at his lower half under the water.

"My people normally do not have long hair like yours," Jack said simply. At this point his hair was the longest it had been since the 19th century in Wales. He had a habit of keeping it wet enough to slick back off of his face since it was beginning to annoy him when he was working on the nets.

"It is all one color, too," the little girl pointed out and Jack conceded that with a nod.

"And have you satisfied your curiosity?" The voice of Rhylarin asked in an amused tone. Jack looked up from the children's faces and saw him watching them with a smile on his face. The children all cried out and left Jack in a flash for one of their fathers. Dranan was the first to reach him, sped along by his longer tail with his siblings trailing behind him. Rhylarin reached out for him and pulled him out of the water. Giving him a brief hug, he tossed him over the heads of his siblings where he splashed back with a giggle. Jack grinned as he watched. Nicolaren showed up a moment later and the girl made a bee line for him. He picked her up and cuddled her close, asking her how her studies had been that day. She chattered nonstop, her words jumbling together in the haste of trying to get them all out. Jeranan was roughhousing with Rhylarin and his brother.

"That should keep them occupied until we finish the meal," Bellaron said in a fond voice as she watched her mates with their children. She gave Jack a hug before removing her arm from around his shoulders and going over to help Caterin finish the preparations for their meal. He stayed where he was, not wanting to interrupt the family together. Nicalaren caught his eye and nodded before heading over towards him and away from the splashing trio, his daughter still chattering in his arms.

"I heard you had a busy day with the asheran," he commented once his daughter had wound down and cuddled against his neck. He had his arm supporting her under her tail and it wasn't the first time that Jack wished he had the ability to paint a picture as the image of his friend holding his daughter was something he wished he could bring with him when he left this world. That thought distracted him for a moment as this was the first time he had considered that he would have to leave at some point. Prior to this it had been a foregone conclusion as he continued his search. But he had put the thought out of his mind while he was here, not wanting to consider leaving. He still didn't, even knowing that the one he sought was incompatible here. But he had fallen in love with these people, and his conversation during the day with the asheran had put into focus how much he wanted to protect them from the world that he knew. They didn't have the words or concepts for things he knew, and he felt bad telling them as much as he had, knowing that it could potentially change their way of life.

A touch to his cheek brought him back to the present and he blinked as he felt a small hand touch him.

"You are like the branirik," she said softly, referring to the ocean dweller which he had mentally dubbed a walrus. "You have hair on your face." For all he never really could grow a beard, he did have some fine hair sprouting in a light beard, and it was this that Nicolaren's daughter had focused on.

"Cheya, not everyone is the same, but I would not compare him to a branirik," Nicolaren said with a laugh. He could see that Jack wasn't offended by her comment and in fact grinned at the comparison. "I am sure he would not be as tasty, either." The two men laughed as the little girl made a face. "So, what do you think of my little ones?" Nicolaren asked. "Rhyllen here is our curious one. I often think she will become one of the asheran someday."

"You say that like it is a bad thing, sheren," a voice commented and the two men turned to where Eointaran approached them. He nodded to Jack who nodded back at him. The scholar drifted over to where they were gathered away from the roughhousing boys and their father as well as the two women who were busy with the preparations for the evening meal. Jack couldn't be sure, but there was almost a sardonic expression on the other man's face. "We have an old and treasured tradition that parents should embrace."

"Did I say otherwise?" Nicolaren asked with an arched brow. Eointaran said nothing, but smiled slightly as his cousin tickled the little girl and made her giggle. "Cheya, would you like to be a scholar and join the asheran?"

Rhyllen looked up at her father and then over at his pod sibling as Jack mentally translated the word, though cousin seemed to fit better, even though that word wasn't in their vocabulary. He was rather amused at the seriousness at which she considered the question. Jack wasn't sure how old she was, but in Earth years she didn't look to be more than four or five.

"I might," she finally said. Eointaran grinned at her while Nicolaren laughed as she prevaricated.

"Now there speaks a scholar," Nicolaren declared. He winked at Jack. "Never give a definite answer when you can give a vague one." Jack smiled as he watched them interact. He could see the bond that they all had with one another and he envied them their easy way with one another. "How about you, Jack? After a day spent with the asheran, do you see yourself as a scholar?"

"I was never one for studying," Jack admitted, delighted to be included in their teasing. "I usually leave that to those best able to use the information."

Eointaran turned towards him and raised an eyebrow. "So you would rather let someone else find the information than to discover it for yourself?" His tone was a bit condescending, in Jack's opinion, but probably deservedly so from a scholar.

"Is it not best to allow those whose skills lie in that direction utilize them rather than a neophyte blundering dangerous onward and possibly corrupting the information?" Jack countered. Nicolaren rolled his eyes and shook his head before taking his daughter off towards the others and leaving the two men to their discussion. He was decidedly not the kind of person who would be interested in that sort of thing or a discussion of it, though he had the ultimate respect for those who did. But it was best left to them, and not for the likes of him to debate. Though, he concluded as he let his daughter slip out of his arms so she could join in the play, Jack did seem to enjoy the verbal sparring. Maybe he was more of a scholar than he realized. Chuckling to himself, Nicolaren headed in the direct of his sister and mate, hoping to wheedle a bite or two out of them before the meal was ready.


	12. Chapter 12

Jack was amazed at how quickly things settled into a pattern now that the enclave was together in one location. He found himself spending a lot of time helping his friends finish the preparations for the long winter, which apparently lasted for a long time on this planet. It was why they were stocking up on supplies and had hauled the barges with them from the summer quarters. Some growing plants would be scarce for months to come, and while the fish were always plentiful, the variety was far less as some species went fairly dormant over the colder months.

As they settled into the long winter months, he found his favorite time to be when the weather was too severe for them to go out. While some like Nicolaren chafed under the restrictions of the inclement weather, he reveled in the opportunity to take some netting to repair and to perch himself on an outcropping not too far from where members of the asheran tutored the children. He learned a lot about the people by doing so, and found himself longing for those times when it was Eointaran who was assigned the teaching duty. While they had occasional encounters with the family and in the evenings when the tribe was relaxing or celebrating something, they really hadn't had any interaction other than the occasional intellectual one. Jack was stymied about it. He wasn't sure whether it was that Eointaran just wasn't interested in pairing up with anyone or whether it was just him that the other man wasn't interested in. After a moment's consideration, he shook his head. Was that even possible that he had found a Ianto who was not interested in him? His ego was feeling rather bruised at the thought.

He focused on what he was doing, coming across a tear in the net that had unraveled and stretched, making the repair difficult. Concentrating, he patiently worked through the weave, strengthening the frayed strands while grafting on new rope to support it without restricting the movement of the mesh. He worked it back and forth through his hands when he had fixed a section to stress test it. From the looks of the hole it looked like they had lost one of the hranan, a walrus-like sea creature with long narrow tusks that was greatly prized by the tribe for both its meat as well as the resin it produced that could be used in other day to day living. He was so caught up in what he was doing that he wasn't conscious of the passage of time. It wasn't until he finally became aware of someone watching him that he finally looked up to gaze into the eyes of Eointaran, who had rested his chin on a nearby rock as he watched Jack work.

Immediately Jack groaned as he felt the muscles in his back seize up from being in the same position for too long. It felt like a vice was crushing his back and for a moment he just closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to pass. When it had, he opened his eyes again and saw that the merman was still there.

"Lessons done for the day?" He asked as a way to get a response from the other man. Cautiously he released the netting, his hands cramping as well from the excessive amount of time he had been spending with the awl and thread doing repairs. He reached upwards, attempting to stretch out the stiff muscles in his back.

"Long since finished," the younger man commented. "I believe you missed most of it."

Jack thought for a moment, trying to remember if he had caught any of it. The asheran had grown used to his unofficial attendance at their teaching sessions and had actively encouraged it, often stopping by after each session to get his take on the day's lessons and compare and contrast it with what he knew of his own world and universe. They had come to accept his differences, and respected his reticence on some issues. They of all people understood the danger of knowledge in the wrong hands. The asheran were the gatherers and disseminators of information, and they were cautious about what was revealed to the general community. Jack was a guest here, so he respected the wishes of the elders.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when Eointaran hefted himself up onto the rock beside him. "No, I do not remember any of it, I think." He watched as the other man reached a long fingered hand out to his own and began to massage the stiff digits. Jack wanted to swoon at that moment; the pain of what Eointaran was doing was so exquisite. He closed his eyes again.

"You realize that you have been working nonstop through a whole day of lessons?" Eointaran murmured, deftly working his way down each of Jack's fingers as he stretched them straight. Jack's other hand was clenched as he fought to suppress the urge to groan again. He looked down at Eointaran's long fingers caressing his own. He gently turned Jack's hand over and started pressing his thumb into the middle of Jack's palm, digging into the tissue there and helping to ease the pain. "Does that help?"

"Yes, it does," Jack replied, sighing with relief as the pain began to ebb. He lifted his other hand which was still stiff from holding the awl. "This one is beyond repair, though."

Eointaran glanced up briefly and smiled before looking back down again at what he was doing. "I hardly think that you are beyond repair, Jack. With a little work you will be right as ever." Jack inhaled sharply as Eointaran moved onto his wrist and began to manipulate it carefully. "Your ability to focus is admirable," he commented as he continued to work.

"Mmmm," Jack replied noncommittally as he tried to ease the cramp in his other hand. It wasn't behaving however, and he finally gave up and dropped it into his lap on top of the net. He leaned back against the rock he had been propping himself against, hissing as a sharp edge dug into the tight muscles under his shoulder blade. "I do not think that was such a good trait to have in this instance."

"No?" The other man glanced up at him with an amused expression. "Perhaps not, if you work yourself into this state. Let us get you more mobile and then I have an idea that would help. Can you move enough to slide into the water? Leave the net here for now," he commanded. Jack propped his bad hand against the rock's surface and hiding a wince, slid down into the water. Immediately he began to sink, even though he tried to kick his legs to stay afloat. But without the help of his hands, it was difficult. He felt Eointaran reaching to hold him up as he shivered. The water was not as cold as it could be, but it was noticeably cooler against his skin. He didn't have these people's natural thermal layer that they had developed through evolution so he felt the temperature change much more than they did. As the winter drew on, it had prevented him from going out with the fishers as he couldn't take the change in temperature outside of the cove for as long as they could.

"Come, let me help you," Eointaran urged him with a concerned look on his face. Jack's shivering was from more than just the temperature, though. The feeling of the other man's skin against his own made him close his eyes and turn his head in an attempt to hide the look of longing that he knew was there. He concentrated on the differences from the Ianto he knew: the hands which had seen a lot of work with the nets, even despite being a scholar. There were scars and ridges there that Ianto hadn't had. The brush of the scales from the lower half of Eointaran's torso, a definite reminder that this man was not the same in a very fundamental way. The firm way that he was being held, as well as being propelled through the water. Physically, this man was much stronger than himself, and definitely more so than Ianto had been.

He let out a ragged breath. It had been far too long since he had been held by someone else. All of this time that he had been there he had physically kept himself apart, not wanting to do anything to offend anyone. He was by nature more physically inclined than that. So his self imposed exile from the touch of others had made him yearn for it even more. That was why he buried himself in the day to day tasks the way he did. It kept his mind occupied, as well as his body. Often at night he was so tired that he would just collapse into his bed and sleep. In fact, he slept more on this world than he had probably slept consistently in years. He deliberately whacked his bad hand against the wall of the passageway they were passing through in an effort to get himself to focus on something other than the other man's nearness. He gasped at the resulting pain that shot through his arm before gritting his teeth to avoid making any more noise.

"Is this hurting you?" Eointaran had stopped and was looking at him with a concerned expression on his face.

"Just bumped my hand," Jack said when he could speak again. He couldn't believe the pain he was in at that moment and had a fleeting thought about wishing for death, since when he came back it wouldn't hurt like it did now. He had a mental image of himself begging Eointaran to kill him as well as the other man's expression at being asked for such a thing and he chuckled hoarsely. "Do not mind me. Let us just go to wherever you are headed."

Eointaran shifted his grip to support Jack better and propelled them both through the water. Jack coughed as the speed of their passage caused the water to ripple out to the edges of the cavern and come back to them; sometimes they were big enough to splash his face. Eointaran apologized, but continued through a set of twisting passages that were unfamiliar to Jack. It was as they passed through an empty cavern that he realized that they must be somewhere in the recesses of the asheran area. Other than the common room, he hadn't been past that one central room. They slowed down as the passages narrowed and twisted more. Jack noticed that the water was getting warmer and he stifled a sigh of relief.

"Here," the merman said as they entered a small cavern. Jack could hear water splashing nearby as well as the odor of sulfur. Hot springs, he concluded as he felt the water increase in temperature even more. This time he couldn't stop the sigh of relief as the warm water seeped into his skin. Eointaran smiled at him as he led Jack over to a series of rock ledges. Water flowed over each of the ledges in tiny waterfalls. They were large enough for one person or two to sit in, and Eointaran picked up Jack and deposited him in one of the larger ones. "Sit. Soak. Let the heat help with the cramping."

Jack leaned back against the surprisingly soft sandstone and he let his hands fall under the surface. Stifling a groan, he closed his eyes and just allowed himself to absorb the heat. Eointaran hauled himself up onto the ledge and eased himself down into the water next to Jack. He was concerned about the state of the other man and didn't want him alone by himself. Jack didn't even notice. It wasn't until he felt hands working on his own, carefully easing his clenched fist open that he opened his eyes again. He stared down as the merman manipulated his hand under the water. The heat was helping. When his fingers were splayed out, Eointaran gently started to manipulate his wrist, working his way up Jack's arm.

"Slide down a bit," he suggested, and Jack slid lower into the water so that the rest of his torso was submerged. He rested his head back into the convenient hollow and sighed with pleasure. A chuckle was the other man's only response as he continued to work through the stiff muscles with gentle fingers. Jack lost sense of how much time was passing. He was just caught up with the very sensuous massage he was receiving. Eointaran manipulated him like a ragdoll, leaning him forward and working on the knotted muscles in his back before sliding over him to his other side and working on his other shoulder, arm and hand. By the time he was finished, Jack was totally relaxed and pliant in his hands. Jack was leaning against him, eyes closed and more than half asleep. Eointaran looked at his face and decided to let him rest for a bit. Judging by his internal clock, it was well past the time for food, but they could forage for something later.

He leaned back and closed his eyes while he pondered the man beside him. Jack was something of an enigma. He wondered what it would be like to be the only one of your kind in a world that was very different from your own. He wondered if Jack was lonely. He knew he would be. Jack was very circumspect in his dealings with the tribe, and Eointaran had been watching him for a while now since the tribe had started their winter sojourn. He often saw a wistful look on Jack's face as he watched the families together, or his friends with their children. And while he socialized with the younger set, it was definitely on a superficial level. He had rebuffed the advances of both the men and women of the tribe, but in such a way so as to not offend. Eointaran had indeed been observant of the newcomer in their midst. It was in that moment that he resolved to be the friend that Jack didn't know he needed.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack was dreaming. He was feeling warm, safe and secure. They were feelings he hadn't felt in a very long time. There had been too many years that had passed since his early days on Boeshane. Too many years of being on his own, and the events which had sundered his family apart had made him forget what it felt like. He snuggled down into the warmth, on some subconscious level knowing it was ephemeral and fleeting, but wanting to enjoy the feeling for as long as he could. It was some time before he woke, but once he did it was the scents and sensations that brought him awake in a very gradual fashion. He let his mind drift, not thinking of anything much, but enjoying the lassitude it brought to him. As he became more alert, memories of where he was and why came rushing back and he opened his eyes.

He saw flesh under his cheek. Flesh which belonged to a broad expanse of a male chest. He felt muscled arms holding him securely in place, so he rested in the water but wasn't completely submerged. He started to pull back, but whomever he was with wasn't letting go that easily. He fought to remember what had happened last. Looking up, he met blue eyes that seemed to be twinkling in amusement.

"Careful, if you let go now you might sink and drown. I cannot imagine that it would be a good way to die," Eointaran said, his voice laced with amusement.

"No," Jack agreed. Slowly memories were coming back to mind. He wasn't sure how they had ended up in each other's arms, but he found himself extremely reluctant to move away. He lifted his chin and stared into the other man's eyes. "Was there a danger of that?"

"I do believe so," the merman said thoughtfully. "You were so relaxed that you were very much in danger on your own. You should be more careful about working too long with the nets. No one should let themselves get into such a state."

"I did not mean to," Jack half protested. And in truth, he hadn't. He had always been one to have a single minded concentration when he needed to. Not that repairing a net needed that kind of focus, but it allowed him to quiet down his mind when thoughts were running all over the place. It brought him a measure of focus and peace. He felt disconcerted to find himself in another man's arms with no memory of how he got there. Not that he was going to complain since they were very nice arms, indeed. "I am keeping you from your work," he finally said.

"It is evening and long since passed the time for working," Eointaran commented with a slight smile on his lips. Jack blinked. Evening? Usually the day's lecture ended mid afternoon, allowing the children to do some work when their kinfolk came in from a day of fishing and before the evening gather. If it was evening, then they were missing both the meal and the time that the tribe got together and relaxed. It was a time to tell stories, to sing, and to otherwise relax.

"I have kept you from the others, then." He finally concluded. He rested his hand against the other man's chest so he could leverage himself up. Now that he was aware of who he was with he was very wary of reacting in a way that might be instinctual, but possibly offensive. He had no wish to do that, so it was better if he got some distance before that happened. He thought it odd that Eointaran was in no hurry to leave, but had seemed quite content to stay in the pool holding him. He was a bit confused about that part. It wasn't that the other man was unfriendly, nor had he ever been off putting, but this level of intimacy was something that Jack found confusing at the moment. The merman's skin felt warm and solid beneath his fingers as he pushed himself upwards and out of the embrace. "But thank you for being so kind as to watch over me."

"You need someone, Jack," Eointaran said. He watched Jack move over to sit on one of the small ledges. He wasn't quite sure, but Jack had seemed uncomfortable. Eointaran thought it odd, since he had been warm and tactile while sleeping. He frowned thoughtfully, thinking. "You are alone in this world, and I think miss the comfort of another of your kind."

Jack blinked again for the second time in a very short while. He had to have been hearing what the other man was saying wrong. Perhaps it was the intricacies of the language, which to his still sleepy mind took on another meaning than surely had been intended.

"Even amongst my own kind I will always be different," he finally responded, taking the words at face value and not trying to react to the tone in which they had been said. He had to have been mistaken. "I am the only one of my kind who dies and revives. That in itself makes any long term relationship difficult."

Eointaran tilted his head to one side as he nodded. "I would suppose it would. But would it not be good to enjoy those moments of joy when you find them? To accept the caring of another to ease your loneliness?"

"I do," Jack acknowledged. He felt a little calmer by the distance between them. The merman had remained where he was, reclining in the deeper end of the pool. Jack glanced down, focusing on the slight movement of his tail. It had been something he had learned to watch, because often it betrayed the underlying emotion of its owner. He had seen at times when someone had been upset, or had been bored, other times teasing and making overtures towards another. Eointaran's was waving gently back and forth, showing no signs of distress in any way. Jack shook his head.

"You have not here," the merman observed. The comment was enough to startle Jack into looking up into his face. "Is there no one who appeals to you?" He watched as Jack burst into laughter at his question and was feeling a bit bemused by the reaction.

"You all appeal to me," Jack finally said when he could get himself under control again. That much was certain. The Tralaren were a beautiful race and had he been so inclined, he would have been happy to pair up with any of them who had offered. He knew that Eointaran was waiting for him to finish, so resorted to a polite response. "I am a guest here. I do not know all of your ways, so I do not wish to offend." He met the other man's eyes, seeking to explain it clearly. "And being intimate with someone from another race can cause all sorts of misunderstandings if one is not careful."

The merman nodded at his reply. It did make sense to be cautious. While the tribe had readily accepted Jack in their midst, he could see that there would be some reticence on the part of someone who did not know them well.

"We will just have to educate you so you feel more comfortable, then." Eointaran finally commented. Abruptly he changed the subject. "How do you feel?" He watched as Jack cautiously stretched his arms upwards. Many weeks of constant swimming had him in the best shape he had ever been in that he could remember. Now that the cold was gone and his muscles relaxed, he was quite content.

"Very well, thank you," Jack replied as he dropped his arms down to his sides. "I guess I was more tired than I had thought."

"You do not have our natural shielding for your body, either," Eointaran said. "So I would assume that the cold would affect you faster." Jack nodded. While he had been in some cold climates in the past, he had never been in one where he was in water all the time. As winter had progressed, he had found himself often colder than he had been when he had first arrived. It was why he tried to get himself out of the water working on the nets for long periods of time, since he kept warmer by doing so.

"This is nice, though," Jack stated as he ran his hand through the warm water. There was some sort of element to the water that made him quite relaxed. Running his fingers over his arms, he felt the skin seemed smoother. No doubt from the sulfur which leached into the water through the rocks. It felt good, and he didn't mind.

"You are most welcome to stay here, you know," Eointaran told him. "These are part of my private quarters here in the asheran. They are more than adequate for my needs and I would enjoy the company." Jack was slightly taken aback by the offer. While Eointaran had been friendly towards him, this was the first time that they had had what he would have called a personal conversation. The offer for him to stay floored him and he froze for a minute, wondering what the other man's intent was. A thousand thoughts flitted through his mind. He hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

"Your offer is most generous, but I would not want to impose," he finally said, feeling the words to be a little too formal. He thought he saw something flicker through the other man's eyes but he couldn't interpret what it meant. Was that disappointment? Relief? Was it a courtesy offer? Or something else?

"It is no imposition," Eointaran finally said, but he shrugged as if it did not matter. "I have the space, and the temperature is better for you. Why not just try it? If for some reason it is not comfortable for you, then you can leave. But do not reject the suggestion out of hand." Eointaran leveraged himself up onto the ledge so that he was perched opposite of where Jack was seated. "Come and look about. I will get us food to eat in the meantime." With a flip of his tail he pushed himself out of the pool and into the water below. Jack got up and dropped into the water, surfacing next to the other man. Smiling slightly, Eointaran led the way, showing Jack the different rooms. It was small compared to the extended living space of his other friends, consisting of a food area, the central room that obviously looked like it was where Eointaran did work for the asheran, and a sleeping chamber. They didn't dwell very long in any of the areas before heading back to find some food. Jack found that he was hungry, and together the two men prepared something simple to eat.

It was as they sat back and ate that Eointaran turned the talk to other things, commenting on the seasons and how that affected the food they could gather. He asked Jack about how it was where he grew up and Jack found himself talking about Boeshane. In some ways it was a lot like the world he was on. It was a simple world, especially after some of the equipment that the colony had brought with them had begun to fail over time. It had never been meant to last long, just to help them become self sufficient. The colony still had technology, but not at the level of which they could have had on a more mineral-rich world that the corporations would have been interested in. There was still the space port, and trade was vigorous for the tiny colony. Of course the invasion changed all that, and it was the attack on his world that had been one of many life altering events for him. Jack didn't mention any of that, not wanting to talk of wars to a man who had never known one. Instead, he told his friend stories of looking for roots and tubers that were edible, adding about how the children had often searched for the prize mushrooms which their parents had valued for flavoring. The two men fell into an easy camaraderie with one another, their talk further relaxing them as they learned more about each other.

Eointaran was intrigued by Jack. He liked puzzles and the man seated before him was a complicated puzzle indeed. They chatted well into the evening before they both realized how late it was.

"It is late and I am keeping you up," Jack finally said. Eointaran shrugged. Jack looked towards the passageway which led out to the main area for the asheran.

"Surely not?" Eointaran asked and Jack looked back at him. "Do I make you so uncomfortable that you wish to seek a bed somewhere else?"

"No, of course not," Jack protested. On the contrary, the more he spoke with the other man, the better he liked him. And that was the crux of the problem. He knew that there could be no future between them, but he still craved that possible closeness. Even knowing that at some point he would have to leave these people, he had never felt closer to a group like this in a long time. Not since he had built a close knit team that lived in an underground lair underneath Cardiff had he felt this affinity for other people. One of the reasons why he was so reluctant to move forward was because he knew that by doing so he would be opening his heart up again, and that eventually he would be hurt by their deaths or the parting of leaving.

"Then why are you afraid of staying?" Eointaran asked, his head cocked to one side as he regarded the other man solemnly.

"I am not afraid," Jack replied quickly, "I just do not wish…"

"To be an imposition," Eointaran responded, finishing Jack's sentence for him. "And I have told you that you would not be." He turned his body so that he faced Jack completely. "So stay." Jack let out a sigh of defeat and nodded.

"Alright," he finally acquiesced. He was tired and upon thinking about it, probably wouldn't be able to find his way out of the asheran area on his own. He also had no wish to hurt this new bond he had formed with Eointaran. He didn't know whether it would lead anywhere, but he knew he was very attracted to this man he had gotten to know better. He was different in many ways from the Ianto he had known, but like the myriad other facets of the man he had met, Eointaran was his own unique person. None of them had ever been a carbon copy of the man he once knew.

Jack was thoughtful as he followed Eointaran into the sleeping chamber. Perhaps it was the lesson that the tarot girl had been trying to teach him and not an actual promise that he would find a copy of the man he had loved. Perhaps it was time he recognized that, and to come to the realization that no matter whom the individual was that he met, he could grow to love again. And that was the lesson to be learned in his travels.

Eointaran glanced at Jack, noting the introspective look on his face. Jack was indeed a puzzle. He had probed into why Jack had come to travel to his home world and had a feeling that he hadn't gotten the whole story. It was if Jack was seeking something, though he was discreet about it, there was something indefinable that he wasn't speaking about. Eointaran indicated the sleeping area, courteously giving Jack the first choice of where to rest for the night.

Jack smiled in thanks and pulled himself up on the sandy beach, luxuriating in the scratchy feeling of the soft sand against his skin. He pushed up against the rock wall, giving room to the much larger merman. Eointaran heaved himself up and collapsed back against the sand with a soft sigh.

"It has been a long day," he said, turning his face towards Jack with a grin. "The children always have questions that bear great thought, and one must be careful about the way one answers them."

"I have noticed that," Jack said with a smile of his own. "They are a very curious lot, are they not?"

"Indeed," the other man agreed. He closed his eyes, a smile playing on his lips. "They show much promise." Jack did not respond. He felt his eyes drooping. The warmth of the room was making him sleepy. When Eointaran looked at him again, it was to see that he had drifted off. "Goodnight, my friend," he murmured before closing his own eyes to go to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning dawned and Jack was woken by the smell of something cooking. He kept his eyes closed and just listened to the homey sounds. It brought back memories of other occasions where he shared a living space with someone else, and he smiled at those memories from his past. Different faces flitted through his head, images he held close to his heart, not having the physical reproductions to remember them by anymore. He pictured each and every one of them in a loving tribute. One thing that his travels had taught him was to cherish those memories and to appreciate what he once had.

"Awake now?" A male voice commented to him and he opened his eyes, not recognizing where he was for a moment, so lost had he been in his own thoughts. He stared at the glowing lichen above him, the soft light illuminating the space around him. He rolled onto his side and looked at Eointaran, who was bobbing up and down in the water. "Time to break your fast, my friend. The day has come and there is much to be accomplished today."

"So there is," Jack murmured. He sat up and scratched his fingers through his hair. It was far longer than he had worn it in decades, and he grinned to himself at what anyone who had known him back in Cardiff would think if they saw him. Slipping into the warm water, he reached his friend in a few short strokes, following him through the low passageway to the larger cavern beyond. He sniffed appreciatively as he reached the cooking area and pulled himself up onto a ledge. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No, I am all set here," Eointaran replied. He handed Jack large shell that served as a plate that was filled with food. "Eat."

Jack obeyed, digging into the tasty collection of steamed roots and fish. When he was finished he insisted in helping the merman clean up, and soon they were finished with their meal and were ready for the day. Jack turned towards the entrance that led to the greater asheran area but was stopped by Eointaran's hand on his shoulder. He turned with a look of inquiry at his face. Eointaran ran his hand down Jack's arm to his wrist and turned the hand over, making Jack look down as well. The red marks he had the day before were now faded and he flexed his fingers to show that he was in good shape.

"Remarkable," Eointaran murmured. "Judging by what I had seen yesterday, I would have told you to not work the nets today. But it is like you had no damage at all."

"I heal fast," Jack said with an odd smile on his face. "Able and ready to work again. And judging by the mess in that net that I did not get to finish last night, they need all the help they can get." The two men smiled as they made their way into the general caverns of their winter home. It was not Eointaran's day to teach the young, so he went to go help his friend with the nets.

"I am sure you have other things you could do," Jack protested.

"I am sure that is true, but the work will go better with two, would it not?" Eointaran asked and Jack couldn't fault his reasoning. The two settled down in the same area that Jack had been working the day before and got to work.

By the time the day ended, they had finished the net for Nicolaren as well as several others that they had been able to repair. This time Eointaran kept an eye on him and made sure that he didn't overdo it like he had the day before. Jack was amused at this solicitousness. It was very reminiscent of another man who used to fuss over him, but different as well. At the end of the day they shared a meal with Caterin and her mother. Nicolaren, Rhylarin and their candorith Bellaron were in their own cavern enjoying a quiet meal with their children.

Neither Caterin nor Allorith seemed surprised by Eointaran's announcement that Jack would be staying with him. Jack had found that these people were very accepting of pretty much anything any of the others did. It made for a nice and relaxing atmosphere, and far more comfortable than the typical human norms where people would have questioned the motivations behind such an arrangement.

After the meal the two men went back to Eointaran's quarters. Neither of them was up for the antics of the younger members of the tribe who were busy having a raucous gathering in the main cabin. Eointaran winced at some particularly off putting notes that were coming out of one of the instruments being played.

"The sooner we get away, the better," he commented. He grasped Jack's bicep and helped propel him along at a faster pace, taking them more quickly than Jack could swim on his own back to their cavern. Jack chuckled. The nightly revels of the younger crowd bordered on a bacchanalia more than anything he had witnessed in the past. It was like their homecoming to the winter quarters gave them license to be more boisterous than they had been when the tribe was separated by distance.

"They are young," Jack said by way of explanation. Eointaran only shook his head ruefully and winced again as another note drifted back through the tunnel they were traversing. "And inebriated."

"No excuse," Eointaran said. "That my friend, is an abuse of the highest order." Jack burst into laughter at the look of affront on his friend's face.

"Are you a musician then?" Jack asked. Eointaran slanted a glance at him as they moved through the asheran common area before moving to his own apartment. At this time of the evening the space was empty, people either out for the evening or off on their own.

"I can play much better than that, yes." Eointaran replied. They were finally out of earshot of the offending music and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Most of our tribe tends towards musical tastes. Unfortunately, some do not have the ear for it."

"Or are too drunk to notice," Jack said with a laugh, eliciting a nod of agreement from his friend. He was still curious about this newfound talent in his friend. "Would you care to show me how it should be done?"

Eointaran paused in the process of getting them both a drink from the pantry where he kept supplies. He tilted his head to one side as he poured from a gourd into two shells that served as glasses. Pursing his lips thoughtfully, he handed Jack his drink as he considered the idea.

"Why not?" He finally asked. He put his own cup down on top of the water, allowing it to float as he moved into the bedroom before returning and carrying something in his arms. Jack watched curiously. He had seen what he thought was a piece of artwork on a shelf in that cavern, but had not thought to ask Eointaran about it. Apparently he was wrong in his assumption, and it was actually an instrument. Jack watched as Eointaran laced a woven strap up his arm in what looked to be some sort of shoulder harness. The instrument was made out of different types of wood, and Jack wondered who had made it. Bits of different shells adorned the surface and it glittered in the light of the room.

Jack took a seat on an underwater ledge and leaned back against the soap sand wall. Once Eointaran was ready, he nodded once to Jack and looked down at the instrument in his hands. There were something that looked like strings, but mainly it had holes along the tubes that had been strung together. Eointaran brought a reed up to his mouth and began to blow into it.

Jack was mesmerized. The sweet sound of the instrument echoed in the cavern, the haunting melody that Eointaran teased out of the instrument a remarkable difference from what they had heard in the main cavern. And while he had heard many types of musical instruments being played on many planets, Jack had always found that there was something unique about each, even if the topics that people tended to write about were the same in a universal fashion. The sounds that Eointaran coaxed out of the instrument sent shivers down Jack's back. It reminded him of a cross between a uillean pipe and a guitar of some sort. It intrigued him, since he didn't think that they would have developed stringed instruments of such sophistication. For a low tech world, their crafts tended to be more utilitarian than anything else. The rafts that had been made for their journey had been made out of driftwood collected for many years that had fallen onto the beaches close enough to be harvested. The same rafts were used each season when the summer crew went on, and were maintained so that they lasted years. The tribe carefully husbanded the resources they had and used them judiciously and for the greater good of the group as a whole. The only really decorative exception had been the temple that he had first revived in at the summer camp, as well as some smaller chambers here where there were some extra decorations for more ceremonial use. His impression was that this instrument was more a work of art than anything else. Certainly the music it produced was the work of a master player such as the man before him.

Jack focused on Eointaran's fingers as they moved over the various reeds, creating the beautiful music that made him want to cry in response. It was mournful at times, but incredibly uplifting as well as the merman used the acoustics of the chamber to make the echoes part of the song that he played and work a counterpart to the echoes. When he was finished the notes drifted off, fading away down the passageway. Eointaran looked up from the instrument to try and gauge Jack's reaction. He had been so focused on what he was doing that he hadn't been paying attention to his audience's reaction. He was surprised therefore, to see wet tracks down Jack's face in response to his performance.

"That was beautiful," Jack said hoarsely and paused to clear his throat. He smiled at his friend. "You play beautifully as well."

"You liked it?" Eointaran found himself asking, feeling surprise that what this man thought was so important to him for some reason.

"Absolutely," Jack assured him. He left the ledge and brought the drink that Eointaran had abandoned over to him. "I liked it very much. You are very gifted." Eointaran accepted his compliment with a smile and took the shell with his free hand. Jack focused on the instrument, marveling at the composition. He tentatively reached a finger out towards the strings but held back; looking upwards to make sure it was okay with the other man to touch the instrument. Eointaran nodded and Jack lightly stroked his forefinger across the strings. The sound whispered through the sound chamber behind it and he smiled in delight. "Did you also make it?"

"This was made by an ancestor," Eointaran told him. He showed Jack the construction of the instrument, explaining where each of the pieces came from. The strings were actually tightly woven grasses of some kind and Jack leaned closer to examine them. The parts were intricately woven together to create the instrument and as the other man explained, had been added upon throughout the creator's life as he found new material to add to it.

"It is amazing," Jack commented. He helped Eointaran remove the shoulder strap and waited for the other man to return from putting it away. When he came back, Eointaran poured them some more of the fruit liqueur and asked Jack about the type of music his people had made and what the instruments were like. They talked well into the night, caught up in the differences between their two people as well as the similarities. It was when the gourd was finally empty that the two headed off to bed, both of them collapsing into a deep sleep beside one another.

That evening started a pattern over the coming days and weeks. The two men became fast friends, working separately for the most part during the daytime, except for those days where Eointaran took the time t help the community chores with Jack and anyone else who was about. Their evenings were normally shared with friends and family, and Jack found himself growing ever closer to these people he had met. But more often than not the two found themselves returning back to their home to spend the evening together, talking and sharing stories. While others were often invited in the asheran, many of their friends declined, opting to leave the two men alone together. It was obvious to most of the others that the two had a deep bond with one another, though they might not have come to the realization themselves.

Bedallan was working in the main cavern one night on the preparation of the next day's lectures to the children when the two came in. They had their arms around each other and were amiably arguing over some difference of opinion. He smiled as he watched the pair. Eointaran was by nature a quiet and reserved man. But there was something about being with Jack that made him relax and be more open. It was good to see, as was hearing the younger man playing his instrument again. It had been a long time since he had done so, and there were many a night where Bedallan lingered in the main cavern, just to listen to sound of the music that drifted from Eointaran's quarters. The pair didn't notice him as they swam by, so intent on one another they were that they were oblivious to anyone around them.

"That cannot be true," Eointaran said with a laugh as he lifted the grass curtain that led to his chambers and allowed Jack to pass. "You made that up."

"No, it is the true, I swear it!" Jack said with a laugh. He had just gotten through one of his more outrageous stories and was having fun with the fact that Eointaran didn't believe him. The two were laughing as Eointaran led the way through the passageway and down to their living area. Jack was the one who headed over for the gourd with the drink that they normally had to end their evening. Giving his friend a glance, he got a nod in response and poured them both a healthy measure. He put the rope that was tied around the gourd over his shoulder and brought it along with the two shell glasses to where Eointaran was lounging on the other side of the cavern.

"My thanks," the merman said as he accepted the glass. He held it up for a moment and after nodding at his friend in acknowledgement drank, deeply. Jack followed suit before putting the gourd on the shelf behind them. He leaned his head back and stared up at the rock ceiling, a smile on his face.

"You have many stories," Eointaran commented when he brought down his glass to rest on the water. Jack watched it drift around in a circle as it followed the movement of the current. "I wonder what stories you will tell someday about your time here."

Jack thought about it for a moment. "I would tell others about the incredible people I have met. People who are strong, brave and beautiful," he finally said. He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the fermented brew that his friend Shaloren had gifted them.

"Beautiful?" Eointaran raised an eyebrow. He thought about that for a moment before taking up his glass again and drinking. "I suppose some are." Jack laughed and he turned his attention towards the other man. "What?"

"Eointaran, you all are a very beautiful people," Jack assured him. "Every single one of you. It is enough to give me a complex, and I am not one to usually worry about such things." He chuckled to himself. No, he usually had a very healthy sense of his own physical form and its affect on others. But if there was one place he had learned that looks didn't matter, it was with a group of other beautiful people who didn't see themselves as such. He finished his glass and decided he deserved another. The day had been a long one of working with the tribe, but he had gained new muscle mass over the months that he had been here, and felt stronger than he had in a very long time. The physical labor was good for him, and he felt like he was contributing to the good of the group. He looked over at his friend and noticed a skeptical look on the other man's face. "What, you do not believe me?"

"It is not a matter of belief or disbelief," Eointaran told him with a shrug. "I do not see myself that way, however." Jack just shook his head at his friend's comment. He moved over so that he was closer to the other man and stared into his eyes.

"I see you as that," Jack told him. He felt buoyed by the alcohol he was imbibing, but at the same time he also felt he owed his friend the truth. He did see him as beautiful, and more and more, very desirable. He had been wrestling with his thoughts for the past couple of weeks on how to express how he felt to the other man. He had come to the conclusion that perhaps Eointaran was more involved in his studies and the asheran than he was in personal interaction. Judging by the comments made within his hearing, he had heard of the surprise in the others that Eointaran was even sharing his living quarters with anyone else.

Eointaran looked up from where he had been examining his glass and met Jack's gaze with his own. "Do you, now? I never really paid any attention to how another looks."

"And why is that?" Jack asked him. He wondered if physical appearance was going to be their discussion topic for the evening. They had talked about just about anything else under the sun, so it was possible that this would be their new topic. He loved their evenings together. It was intellectually stimulating as well as giving him something he hadn't had in a long time – companionship and camaraderie with another. While he had had that in the past, usually it had been in situations where he hadn't had the luxury to just enjoy someone else's company. There were often other issues getting in the way, whether it was politics, aliens or the Rift spitting things out that he had to protect others from. This sojourn here was vastly different from any of the other places he had been and he found himself feeling different over time. He couldn't put a finger on what it was, but it felt like his soul was absorbing this time with the people he had grown to love here, that weren't in danger of some sort, but were simply living their lives day to day. It was something he found so foreign after several lifetimes of fighting and protecting others that he reveled in the chance to enjoy it. Eointaran's shrug brought his attention back to the man before him.

"It just hadn't seemed important," Eointaran finally replied.


	15. Chapter 15

Eointaran felt vaguely uncomfortable with the conversation. How someone else had looked had never seemed important to him, nor how he looked to others. To find someone like Jack calling them all beautiful was a surprise. He took a moment to examine the man before him. Since Jack spent most of his time working out in the central cove area, he was still darkly tanned, even with the weaker winter sun shining. It made for a startling contrast with his eyes which seemed very blue in contrast. His hair was hanging back over his shoulders, the sun having lightened it to an almost fiery bronze. Eointaran decided he must be considered beautiful himself, though he had never really thought about it at all. "Is it important to you?"

"No," Jack told him with a smile. "I would see beauty in anyone, whether they were in human form or not. What is important is what is inside," he said and he tapped Eointaran's chest lightly. The skin was smooth under his fingers and he fought back the urge to stroke the other man. "I have met some very lovely looking people who were quite ugly on the inside, and that is what matters. Appearances do not matter."

"Then what does matter, other than what is inside?" Eointaran asked his friend. He had to stop himself from reacting to the other man's touch. The light caress of Jack's fingers against his skin had sent an electric jolt down to the tip of his tail, which curled in response. Abruptly he was very aware of the other man before him in a way he hadn't been before.

"That is pretty much it, as well as what a person does with their life," Jack responded. He hadn't missed Eointaran's reaction to his touch, having seen his tail move and he caught his breath for a moment, wondering if he had seen what he thought he had seen. He had made a promise to himself that he wouldn't push it with Eointaran, but would wait for him to make the first move. It had been a long month in the process, but he had grown ever closer to the other man in other ways as well. He decided to turn it around a bit. "And what do you find attractive to you?"

Eointaran thought about it for a long moment. He didn't move away from where Jack was, but actually leaned across him to snag the gourd. He felt the warmth of the other man's skin near his own and noticed the light inhalation as their arms brushed one another. He ignored Jack's comment that he could have passed the gourd over and poured them both another measure. Placing the gourd in the space between them he took a sip from his glass before replying.

"I have never truly thought about it, to be honest," he finally admitted. "I have never found myself interested in more than my studies." He looked up to meet Jack's eyes. "Somehow, it had never seemed important before." Jack waited for him to continue, wondering at the words that Eointaran had not chosen to say. It felt like there was an unspoken _until now_ between them left unsaid.

"Before?" Jack echoed, prompting the other man to continue. He drew back slightly, not wanting to push his friend any more than he had this evening. He leaned back and looked into his shell, staring into the liquid that sloshed about inside. He was giving Eointaran the opportunity to say what he wanted without undue attention.

"Before you came here," Eointaran finally said and Jack looked up in surprise. Eointaran was smiling and he chuckled at the look on the other man's face. "You are very interesting to me, Jack. You intrigue me like none other I have met. I am not sure why that is, but Jack, I find you quite attractive."

Jack was surprised that Eointaran had made so bold a statement. He smiled boyishly in response. "Is that a fact?" The merman nodded and took another sip of his drink. Jack didn't know if it was the alcohol lending them the strength to speak in such a fashion, but he for one was very glad to hear the words. "I will say to you Eointaran that I find you incredibly attractive to me as well."

Eointaran smiled at him and Jack saw how it really lit up his face. "So what are we doing to do about this mutual attraction for one another?"

"Who says we need to do anything?" Jack asked. He didn't want to push the other man at all, and now that the moment was at hand, he found himself strangely reluctant to move forward. As if in doing so, it was a natural progression towards the inevitable. He had contented himself with just getting to know the other man that he hadn't looked for more than just that. It made him chuckle to himself and he saw that Eointaran was watching him with a curious expression on his face. "What?"

"The thought amuses you?" The merman asked with a twinkle in his eye. He knew that whatever it was that had made Jack chuckle was something else, and not the thought of their being together. It made him curious about his reaction, though. Jack laughed outright at the expression on his face.

"No, the thought that I would have actually said what I just did," Jack admitted to himself. "There was a time when it would have been all that I would think about." He grinned ruefully at this self admission.

"But not now?" Eointaran asked. Jack shook his head. "And that surprises you," he observed. Jack nodded in agreement.

"I am surprised that I can still change," he admitted to his friend. Eointaran grinned impishly and leaned his head on his hand as he regarded Jack.

"We all change when experiencing something new," he observed wisely. Jack chuckled again and nodded. "We are ever evolving and do not remain stagnant in our views. We are after all, intelligent beings, no?"

"Yes, we are," Jack said with a lazy grin. He was feeling the effects of the fermented drink and had lost track of how many times one of them had refilled their shells. He rested his head on his arm, pillowing his cheek as he regarded his friend.

"So would you like me to help you evolve some more?" Eointaran asked. He shifted closer to the man by his side and Jack inclined his head to follow the other man's movements.

"I think I would very much like your help, granawan," Jack replied, using the traditional name for a teacher from a pupil. Eointaran chuckled softly and moved closer. He then removed the shell from Jack's grip,

"Then let us begin the lesson," he spoke, saying the traditional phrase which began a teaching session. Then he leaned forward and kissed Jack. Jack twitched, feeling that spark that signified a perfect accordance with another being. He reached upwards and cupped Eointaran's cheek, stroking the soft flesh that his questing fingers found there. The kiss lasted for some time as each of them delved into the other's mouths in exploration. Eointaran eventually pulled back and gazed into Jack's eyes.

"Is this a good start?" He asked, his voice rougher in tone than his usual quiet baritone.

"A very good start," Jack said with a nod. "Please, continue." He watched as Eointaran reached out and touched his face. Jack closed his eyes and let the other man do what he wanted. His own hand came to rest on the merman's shoulder and he could feel the muscles flexing as reached further to run his fingers through Jack's hair. His hand got caught in some tangles and he carefully worked his fingers through the snarls. Jack leaned into his touch, enjoying the caresses. Eointaran's lips found his own again and they moved ever closer to one another, their torsos pressed against each other. Jack's arms crept of their own accord around Eointaran's shoulders and pulled him even closer as they kissed. Once again, the other man pulled back for a moment.

"Please, come with me," Eointaran said. He swept aside the floating shells and took Jack's hand. Jack pushed himself off of the ledge and swam with Eointaran into the passageway which led out to the main asheran gathering room. Jack frowned, wondering where they were headed when he had expected to be led in the opposite direction to the sleeping chamber. Still, he allowed his fingers to be entwined with the other man's as he was tugged along through that larger cavern which was now dark. Everyone else was in bed, or off somewhere else.

Eointaran swiftly moved through the open space to a passageway where Jack hadn't been before. He could hear the slight murmuring of others through the other tunnels that branched off of this one. It was obvious that they were not the only ones who were coming together this night. Jack smiled and followed along.

After a while he lost track of the twists and turns and he wondered just where it was they were going. Eointaran paused at an opening and reached over to the edge. Peering at what he was doing, Jack could see that there was an intricate woven reed and shell curtain which was pulled off to one side. Eointaran motioned for Jack to answer and after passing through himself, he pulled the curtain down behind them. Obviously it was a request for privacy, and Jack was thankful that the others would respect that request and leave them alone. The tunnel was dark but then they passed through an archway and Jack gasped softly. They were inside a crater of some kind that was open to the night sky. Above them the stars shone brilliantly and Jack stared upwards for a long moment.

"It's beautiful," he said before returning his gaze to the man before him. Eointaran stared at him for a moment. Now that they had reached their destination, he was unsure of how to proceed. Jack smiled at him and reached out to touch his face. "The light on your hair makes it shimmer," he said. Eointaran's hair reflected the light from the night sky and shone like a rainbow hue around him.

Eointaran stared into Jack's eyes. "There is something about you. Something that calls to me. I do not know where this will lead us, but I hope that we can come together as friends, and learn what pleases one another." He still clasped Jack's other hand and pulled him close so that they rubbed up against one another. Jack could feel the scrape of the off side of the scales against his skin. It was a pleasant feeling.

"Come," Eointaran said. He began to swim backwards, lazily moving his tail to propel them towards what looked to be a set of bathing pools. The sound of the water over the rocks was very musical and soothing. Jack let Eointaran take the lead and the merman tugged him over to one of the larger bathing pools. He turned and kissed Jack again before circling the other man's waist and lifting him up and over the lip of the pool. Jack grinned at him as they separated again, their hands the only thing touching. Eointaran pulled away briefly and went over to one side where the supplies for washing were kept. He returned with a soft sponge and soap. Putting those on the ledge, he heaved himself over the lip. Jack moved over to give him room, rescuing the sponge which had tumbled into the water after him. When he looked up it was to see the other man watching him expectantly.

Jack picked up the bag of soap and doused it with water. It lathered up in his hand and he applied the foaming soap to the sponge. The pool was shallow on the edges and deeper in the middle, allowing him to have some purchase as he moved across to where Eointaran leaned against the other side of the pool. Jack reached out with the sponge and stroked it against the other man's cheek, leaving a frothy streak on the skin. He then moved the sponge downwards onto Eointaran's neck. The merman chuckled and reached out to pull him closer to that the two men were pressed up against one another.

"Would your people approve of this?" Bright blue eyes stared into his own blue-grey ones as they regarded him.

"Would yours?" Jack countered. He had never been too concerned about social norms for the most part and didn't care to start now, unless it was something that Eointaran would be concerned about.

"Probably," Eointaran said with a smile. Jack grinned.

"Mine wouldn't care. At least, not where I originally came from," Jack amended. He reached up and did something he had wanted to do for ages, which was to stroke his fingers through Eointaran's hair. "You are very desirable, my friend." The merman leaned into his touch, allowing the caress. Now that they were in this place he felt a reticence with his friend and he wondered if the other man was having second thoughts. "Is this what you want?" Jack asked.

Eointaran closed his eyes before rubbing his cheek against Jack's hand. "Yes." He tightened his grip on Jack's shoulder and pulled him close so that they were pressed against one another. His eyes opened in surprise and he looked down at Jack's torso. It was pretty obvious that he was aroused. Jack gave him a moment to process the fact, since it was probably the first time he would have ever encountered something like this with someone of a different species. After looking down for a long moment he tilted his head back into Jack's caress and closed his eyes again. "Yes," he repeated.

"Then show me," Jack said softly. He leaned forward and rubbed his cheek against the other man's. "Show me how to love someone as beautiful as you." He heard Eointaran inhale sharply at his words, but he meant what he said. For all that they were a beautiful people as a whole, there was something about Eointaran that drew him. "Teach me what to do," he breathed into the other man's shell-like ear before nuzzling the skin he found there. He felt Eointaran's arms tighten around him as the other man trembled in response.

"As you shall teach me on what pleases you," the merman whispered softly. He curled his tail around Jack's legs and rubbed it against them. Jack leaned into the other man and held him tight for a long moment. He had given up on the idea of their being together that now that the moment was at hand, he wanted to savor every bit so he could remember it all at some point in the future.


	16. Chapter 16

Using the soap, he lathered Eointaran's chest, luxuriating in the feeling of the other man's skin against his own. They both used the sponge in the love play, the soap it left behind creating a slickness between their skin as their limbs rubbed together. In this way they explored their differences as well as the similarities between them. It was when Jack slipped off the bit of rock he had been standing on into the deep part of the pool and emerged coughing out water that Eointaran finally decided to move them to another location.

"I do not think it would be good for you to drown before we have finished," he declared as he gently patted Jack in the back.

"It would kill the mood a little," Jack admitted as he got his breath back. "Where to, granawan?" Eointaran chuckled and shook his head.

"Granawan no longer, but also trasawan," Eointaran said, referring to himself as a pupil as he helped Jack over the pool barrier and into the slightly cooler water beyond. "Come," he said and pulled Jack over to a shadowy corner of the cove. Pulling Jack up onto the soft sand of the beach, he hauled himself up as well. "This will be much better," he nodded before smiling down at Jack who was sprawled on his back.

The effects of the alcohol had been cleared by their time in the bathing pool and Jack looked up at his friend with clear eyes. Eointaran's face was in shadow, the moonlight behind him and the hair dropping down making his features hard to see. He reached up and stroked the locks that were tickling his chest before reaching for Eointaran's shoulders and pulling him downwards for another kiss. Kicking his leg outwards, he wrapped it around the merman's tail and pulled him close. Eointaran shifted over so that he was lying on top. Jack reveled in the weight of the other man on his chest. For all his bulk, he was not as heavy as Jack would have expected. He felt hands caressing him and he moaned softly as Eointaran explored further.

"This is pleasing?" The other's voice asked softly before nipping his ear, the sharp teeth of the other man grazing the skin. Jack nodded mutely, unable to find his voice as he ran his hands up and down Eointaran's back, stroking the skin where it merged into scales at his waist. The transition between the two was so natural to him now that he felt like the one who was the odd one out without a tail of his own. Eointaran had moved, exploring Jack's chest with his lips and Jack started breathing heavily in response. He tangled his hands in the other man's hair and stroked the strong back that was presented to him as Eointaran curled around for better access to Jack's body. Jack urged him around so he could touch the merman's tail. The scales gave off an iridescent reflection in the moonlight and Jack was captivated by the colors as Eointaran shifted about. Jack rubbed up against the tail, enjoying the scratchy feeling as he moved in the opposite direction from where the scales lay. Eointaran murmured appreciatively as he felt Jack stroke the length of his tail.

The merman had made his way down to Jack's waist and he paused for a moment, curiously examining his genitals. Jack inhaled at his touch. It had been so long since he had been intimate with another.

"So different," the other man said quietly. "Do you like this?"

"Yes," Jack told him shifting so he could see what Eointaran was doing. "Very much. And if I could figure out where to find yours, I would like to do a comparison." Eointaran glanced up at him and laughed.

"Let me show you, then," he said. He rolled over to his side and Jack slid down to lie beside him so that they were face to face. They kissed again before Eointaran took Jack's hand and moved it down past his waist. Jack felt the slit in the tail and thought how the merpeople must be akin to dolphins in that regard. He lightly stroked the other man, seeking to find that which would be pleasurable for the merman.

"Good?" Jack asked. Eointaran's response was to close his eyes and push himself closer to Jack. Jack smiled, taking that as a good sign before continuing. Eointaran loosened his grip on Jack, allowing him the freedom to be able to do his own explorations. He ran his free hand along Eointaran's chest, moving his fingers down the breastbone across the stomach to where the scales started. He brushed his lips across the stomach and watched the muscles ripple in response. Turning his attention to the scattering of scales that marked the line from man to fish he kissed them, tasting the salty residue that came from being in the water. Eointaran had his head back, lip between his teeth as he stifled another groan. Jack grinned. This was completely new to him and he felt the old stirring of excitement at new exploration of another being. He wanted this to go right. Wanted this man in a way he hadn't thought possible.

"Ah," Eointaran hissed as Jack rubbed against him. Jack was watching his face carefully. He didn't want to do anything that would cause discomfort and he wasn't sure how compatible they would be together. He was relying on past experience on other planets and species to be his guide. Though to be honest, it had been many years since he had had a relationship with a non-biped. So he went off instinct and by watching his partner's face. With careful attention to one another, they made love for the first time, getting to know each other in a more intimate way than they had been able to do so before this coming together.

"Slower, please," Eointaran said with a sigh and Jack stopped completely, giving his partner a moment to rest. He felt the merman flex his tail and Jack felt the flukes caress his back. He rested his chin on Eointaran's chest, content to stop for a moment. He could feel the rapid beating of Eointaran's heart in his chest.

Eointaran ran his fingers through Jack's hair, scratching his scalp lightly with his fingernails before moving down his neck to his shoulders. Jack enjoyed the caresses as he felt the other man's strong arms clasp him tight in a hug. Eointaran rolled them back onto their sides.

"Let us try this," he said. Water sloshed over them as his movement stirred it, and Jack felt the soft warm caress as if it were a living being touching his skin. The two entwined again, kissing and stroking one another. Jack stared into the bright blue eyes of the other man, seeing the resemblance to the Ianto he knew, but also knowing that this man was completely different from the man he have once known. Over time and in his travels he had come to realize that while he was looking for Ianto, he was finding all of the possible permutations of the man he once knew. Each one was worth meeting and knowing, and he had come to the realization that each was unique and that he might never find another man to be the same. And over time he was coming to accept that. The man before him was a shining example of that.

As they rested from their exertions Jack stared up at the stars, his hand lightly caressing Eointaran's hair that was draped across him. The merman rested his head on Jack's shoulder and lightly drew patterns on his chest, the two in perfect accord with one another. The end of his tail was entwined with Jack's legs and he also stroked Jack's feet with his fluke in a gentle caress. Eointaran looked upwards and saw a smile curving on the other man's face, the light from the moon defining the planes of his cheekbones and bone structure, his hair tousled from their exertions.

"What are you thinking?" He finally asked Jack. He found he would always be curious about this man in his arms. Even had he been of his own race, Eointaran would have found him a fascinating individual.

Jack stared up at the night sky which was crystal clear that evening. No industrial waste, no pollution could be found here to sully the air above. He stroked his fingers through Eointaran's hair and down his spine before trailing back up over the other man's arm to start again.

"How beautiful it all is," he finally replied. He felt his lover shift and turn to gaze upwards as well.

"So many," Eointaran breathed. "I have never thought of them before, other than that they could be studied with a distance viewer. Now when I think that somewhere there might be one where you people come from, I marvel in wonder." He stared upwards for a moment before returning his gaze to Jack's face. "Do you long to return there?"

"No," Jack said, saying the truth. At this moment the stars held no allure to him, and all he wanted was what he had at this moment. His smile broadened. He felt content and at home in this place. "I have no wish to travel forth from here."

"I am glad to hear that," Eointaran said. He lifted his head up and stretched closer, angling for a kiss. Jack obliged him. "For I would not ask you to leave just yet."

"And I am glad to hear that," Jack said with a laugh. He shifted and moved so he was nose to nose with Eointaran. "But what is this word yet? Will there be a time you will ask me to leave?" He was teasing, knowing that was not the merman's intent, but feeling the need to tweak the other man in play.

"Not unless you wish to," Eointaran told him. A moment later he realized that Jack was playing him. "Or you misbehave." Jack gave him an innocent expression that made them both start laughing. "See? You cannot even pretend towards that look without breaking!"

"And here I thought you liked me when I was misbehaving," Jack said, assuredly reaching lower and putting deed to word by stroking Eointaran intimately. "Shall I not do this, then?"

"Is that misbehaving?" Eointaran asked, his voice catching in reaction to what Jack was doing. "If so, I shall always ask for you to misbehave, then!" He gasped as Jack moved lower. He watched with half opened eyes as Jack moved to rouse him once again. "There is a word for you, you know." Jack paused in what he was doing and pulled up long enough to reply.

"Is there? Shall you teach me this word, oh granawan?" He asked with a grin, his hand slipping into the slit of Eointaran's tail and eliciting another gasp. "I would ask you to complete my vocabulary then." He had to remove his hand before Eointaran could focus enough to give an answer. Light was starting to filter over the walls above them and the sky grew brighter. They had not slept this evening, but had stayed up to enjoy one another. Jack was not tired in the least, but felt invigorated by their night of passion.

"Shaleerin," Eointaran responded, his hand reaching out to still Jack, as he was still having a hard time focusing on conversation at the moment. Jack had him decidedly at a disadvantage.

Jack raised an eyebrow and released the other man, moving upwards again so that they were face to face. "Shaleerin? And what does that mean?"

"Many things," was the response he received and he started to move his hand southward again only to be stopped by Eointaran's own. "Stop, you pose too much of a distraction."

"You say that like it would be a bad thing," Jack said, but allowed himself to be pulled upwards by Eointaran's muscled arms. They rested body to body while Eointaran played with his hair. He thought for a moment. "I have heard this word before."

"No doubt," was the other man's response and Jack felt the low vibration of a chuckle beneath him. "I am sure I am not the only one who has referred to you thusly."

"Despite your obvious lack of faith, it wasn't said to me," Jack retorted. He cast back in his mind as to where he might have heard the term before. Then it came to him. "Jeranan," Jack said, referring to Nicolaran's, Rhylarin's and Bellaron's son. "Caterin called him that word one night."

"Ah," was Eointaran's only response and Jack frowned at him for being obtuse. "And well deserved in that instance as well." He left Jack to ponder that response for a bit while he puzzled the word out. Jack thought back to an evening several weeks ago where Caterin had used that word. It was when Jeranan had been trying his fathers' trick of stealing from the trays before the meal was ready.

"And what other new words do you have for me?" Somewhere over the edge of the volcano opening they heard a horn sound. Morning had come and the tribe was making ready for the day. "Other than one for it is time to get up and go to work?" Jack grinned down at Eointaran.

"I will have a new one later for you," he was promised. The tide had shifted and they were now half under water. "Time to bathe and go find some food," he suggested. Jack agreed and the two moved to the bathing pool. They took their time together before leaving the secluded cove for the main cavern of the asheran. It was Jack who hung the privacy screen back up on the rock, signifying that the cove was available to whoever wanted to use it. Eointaran nodded his approval before the two left and made their way out.


	17. Chapter 17

The asheran's cavern was busy as folk got ready for the day. Jack could see that Ishelan, one of the other scholars was getting ready to teach the day's classes. The two moved over to the kitchen area that was used communally to prepare their own meals. Jack nodded to those he knew and worked quietly with Eointaran to prepare a meal together. They took their shells and went off to one side, watching the preparations for the day.

"It will start getting warmer soon, I know that my sheren is eager to spend more time out fishing," Eointaran said after drinking from a shell to clear the cobwebs away. Jack nodded. He had noticed Nicolaren's increasing fidgeting at the enforced downtime that the weather had caused. His friend definitely preferred to be out than cooped up inside with the rest of the tribe. Jack could understand that, as he used to have those same urges to explore when he was younger. He glanced at Eointaran who had turned towards Chalaran, another scholar who had asked about something that was far over Jack's head in terms of technical knowledge. Sometimes the asheran had a language of their own that was even more different than the two he had already learned; the children and adult languages themselves. He was content to sit back and finish his food while the two talked. He was comfortable in this place and with these people in a way he hadn't been in a very long time.

Eointaran turned to look at him, having finished his conversation with Chalaran. He seated himself on the ledge next to Jack, pressing the other man close. "My apologies for the distraction," he said.

"No matter," Jack assured him. "What is your work for the day?"

"I am with the traren today," Eointaran said, referring to the discussion group that often debated issues of note for the tribe. Jack smiled and nodded. It reminded him of the ancient Greek schools where they would often have debates. Idly, he wondered if he ever became the subject of discussion, and wondered whether he should introduce himself as the topic. It did seem a rather hubristic thought and he chuckled to himself. Eointaran raised an eyebrow in inquiry, but Jack didn't respond. Instead he nodded with his chin and Eointaran turned in the direction he had nodded. Bedallan approached.

"Good morn to you both," the older man said to them, his golden mane pulled back in a simple knot to keep it out of his way. "Eointaran, the traren for you today?"

"Yes, Magrowan," Eointaran responded. He noticed that Jack had finished eating and took the shell out of his hands. "We have much to discuss, no?"

"Indeed we do," Bedallan said with a smile. He turned his gaze towards Jack. "And you, my friend? What does this day hold for you?"

"Whatever needs to be done," Jack responded, using the traditional phrase that he had been taught. "My hands are at the service of the tribe."

"Well spoken, friend," Bedallan said approvingly. His keen eyes had noticed a difference with the two when they had appeared in the asheran cavern. He was not displeased, as it seemed to be a natural pairing for them both. "We can use every willing hand."

"Willingly and gladly given," Jack replied. "I had best be on the move to see what is needed. May the day be full of promise for you, Magrowan," Jack concluded with a nod. He started to slip off of the ledge when Eointaran's hand on his arm stopped him. He turned back with a curious look on his face. Eointaran pulled him close and gave him a kiss before allowing him to leave.

"I will see you later," he said with a grin. Jack smiled at him and leaned in to steal another kiss before slipping off the ledge.

"You can count on that," Jack assured him. He noticed that Bedallan didn't seem at all surprised by their interchange and he stifled a chuckle. Not much passed that man, he was sure. With a final nod he headed off out of the cavern to see what the day would hold for him.

It proved to be another day that flew by as Jack helped the fishermen get ready to start deploying their nets in a larger area, hoping for a good catch to prepare for an upcoming feast. He worked with a few of the elders in readying the nets, gathering them and checking them for tears before folding them so that they could be carried easily and deployed by the fishers. It was backbreaking work but he reveled in it. For some reason the day seemed brighter to him, and he made an extra effort to get things done swiftly so that they wouldn't have to cut into the evening hours when the tribe relaxed. He worked steadily and without break, not noticing the passage of time until the shell horns were blown at the end of the day.

"Enough brother," one of the other workers told him, staying his hand when he went to go do more. "They have more than they need for tomorrow. Time to relax." Jack smiled at the man and looked up at the sky above them. The sun was dropping downwards, an indication of how much time had passed.

By the time he had finished, Eointaran had arrived. He gestured for Jack to leave the other workers and after bidding them farewell, Jack swam over to the merman.

"Come, tonight we will have the evening meal with our harawan," Eointaran said, using the term to refer to one's extended family. Jack was looking forward to it, since they had been so busy lately that they hadn't really had time to see their friends. He eagerly followed Eointaran through the passageways that led to Nicolaren and Rhylarin's cavern. The noise from the children playing told them that everyone was home and Jack grinned at the shrieks of laughter from the boys as they roughhoused together. They ducked through the opening that led to the family living area.

"Eointaran! Jack!" Rhylarin exclaimed as they arrived. "It is good to see you," he said as he held off his youngest son who was trying to swim around him and pull at his hair. "You are well come here."

"Thank you," Jack said. He tousled Dranan's hair as he swam past. Rhyllen was over by the women as they worked to put together the meal for the evening and Caterin fended off both men as they attempted to snatch a snack before it was ready.

"Shaleerin!" She exclaimed, batting Jack's hand away. Eointaran burst into laughter at the surprised expression on his face.

"See? I told you so," he commented, deftly snatching a root while Caterin's back was turned. Allorith caught him though and pulled it out of his hand. Jack laughed at the surprised expression on his face at being outmaneuvered.

"A right pair of them, to be sure," she commented tartly and swatted Eointaran's tail with her own. "Get gone from here, you, or there will be no food for either of you." The younger man laughed and scooted away, attempting a contrite expression on his face. She waggled her finger at him, not fooled at all by his attempt to behave.

The two men laughingly took their leave of the women and drifted over to where Nicolaren and Rhylarin were now lounging backwards on the beach, letting the children play on their own. Nicolaren raised a hand in greeting as they pulled themselves up on the sand.

"Chased away as well?" Nicolaren asked and the two men chuckled. It had become a game for all of them to try and pester Caterin at mealtimes, and as long as she didn't get too annoyed at their attempts, they kept on trying. Jack nodded and smiled at his friend. A moment later they were all splashed as Jeranan flapped his tail at the four of them, making Rhylarin dive after him in fresh pursuit.

"Children," Nicolaren said with an amused glance towards his mate.

"Which one?" Jack asked with a grin as he wiped the water out of his eyes.

"Both," was Nicolaren's response. Jack laughed and turned his attention to the horseplay in the pool which continued with the boys until Bellaron and Allorith called them for the meal. The children settled down once called to order and it was a relatively quiet meal, or as quiet as it could be with three small children about.

Jack reveled in it. From the discussion of everyone's day to the interruptions by the children and the meal itself, he felt like he was part of everything that happened. It felt like having a family again, and that was something he hadn't had for a long time. The children treated him no different from any of the other adults, so used to him they had grown over the past few months. It felt good to belong.

"Stay," Bellaron implored the two men as they took their leave that evening. Caterin and her mother had already departed, claiming that morning came too early to stay up late. Jack and Eointaran had lingered, held by good conversation with their friends, but even for them there was a time to go as well. "We have room for you here, so why swim all the way back to yours?"

"No, thank you, sherel, but we had best be off ourselves," Eointaran said with a shake of his head. Jack was in agreement. He reached a hand for Eointaran who took it with a smile. Nicolaren raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but said nothing. "Morning does come early and I have to teach the youngsters, so I need to prepare my lesson. Thank you though, for your hospitality."

"Goodnight then, friends," Rhylarin said with a nod. He also had not missed the lingering touch between the two men. The family watched them take their leave and head back to the asheran.

"Did you see that?" Nicolaren turned to his mates once they were gone. "Or was I having a fever dream born of fruit juice this evening?" Bellaron laughed softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He snaked an arm around and pulled her in between Rhylarin and herself. "You," he said as he looked down at her. "What do you know?"

"I know nothing, my love," she said with an impish grin. "But it is there for the eyes to see, is it not? I believe they have chosen well. It is about time that Eiontaran thought for more than history for a change."

"Is this not what we have been waiting for?" Rhylarin asked his mate and Nicolaren looked up to meet his eyes. "For the inevitable? I am surprised it took them this long to acknowledge it. Let them announce it formally in good time. I have sometimes thought those two act like the same halves of a whole." With that comment he ended the discussion with a kiss for both mates and led them off to their bed as well.

Back in their living area, Eointaran pulled Jack towards the sleeping chamber. Jack followed eagerly. He was tired from the day's exertions but still would spend the night awake again if that was what Eointaran wanted. And if not, he was content just to lie with the other man and enjoy just the touch of the other man in his arms. He smiled. This life had changed him. The simple nature of the way they lived had brought back memories of living in other times where the weight of responsibility didn't weigh so heavily on his shoulders. He was determined to enjoy this time given to him.

"I am for sleep, my love," Eointaran said and Jack stared at his back as he pulled himself up onto the sand. "Come," the merman said, holding out his hand to help Jack up onto the soft sand besides him. Jack grasped his hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. He crawled onto the sandy beach and lay down next to Eointaran. As he lowered himself, Eointaran pulled him close and the two met for a kiss. "It was a good night, was it not, Jack?"

"It was indeed," Jack agreed. He propped his weight on one elbow and smiled down at the other man. "Goodnight, Eointaran." He sank down to the sand and felt the rasp of scales against his legs as Eointaran shifted closer. He wrapped himself around the merman as they clasped one another close before closing their eyes. He felt lips against his own and he smiled. He was content.


	18. Chapter 18

The pattern of their lives didn't change over the coming weeks and months, other than to draw the two men ever closer into the daily lives of the tribe. Time flew for Jack and it wasn't for some time that he thought about life beyond what he had until one evening one of the children started to ask him about his life before he had come to their home. They pestered him for stories and he told a couple that he thought fairly tame while the adults watched indulgently. It was with a lot of protest that Bellaron and Caterin got the children to sleep that evening, they had clamored for more.

"Tell me Jack," Rhylarin said while Nicolaren passed the gourd around for them to drink now that it was quiet once more. "Do you ever long to return to the worlds that you tell tales of?" Jack looked up in surprise as Eointaran poured his drink.

"Honestly? No," he said. "I have found all that I need here." He and Eointaran shared a kiss. They had discussed the same thing a long time ago and Jack had explained why he was there and what he had been searching for. Eointaran had told him that since he had found it, he need look no further. He understood that he would age while Jack would not, and had accepted it philosophically, saying that their time together would be well spent. As a species they did not age very fast so he reasoned that they would have many years together.

"So you will stay with us?" Nicolaren asked, delighted. Jack nodded and the men both reached out to clasp arms with him. "Then all is good. I would not have my sheren be without you."

"Nor I," Rhyarin said. "Stay, brother. You are part of our family and have been for some time. We have no wish to see you part from here anytime soon." Jack smiled, feeling a lump in his throat. These people had readily accepted him. He had been a stranger and now was loved by another and a trusted member of the tribe. He also knew that no matter how much time he spent in any one place he would always return to the point of origin, and that the device that was safely tucked away in the quarters that he shared with Eointaran would also bring him back to the same time as when he had first left.

"Thank you. I can think of no higher honor than to be called brother by you," He said to Nicolaren and Rhylarin. They had been more than friends, they were his family. And he was deeply touched by their concern as well. He looked at Eointaran, the man whose face was as familiar to him as his own. The blue eyes twinkled at him as the merman smiled at him. While the differences were quite apparent from his own Ianto, the similarities were far greater. And the fact that this man knew about him and accepted him for what he was helped greatly. He had truly met his match in this man, and was determined to enjoy his time spent here for as long as he could.

* * *

_Cardiff Bay: Present Day  
_

Gwen Cooper stood on the bay munching a chip when she heard a beep from her PDA. She looked down in surprise before remembering what it was that she had programmed in there to monitor. Pulling it out of the pocket of her leather jacket, she stared down at the display. "Oh my god," she murmured. Dropping the half finished bag of chips into a bin, she began racing back towards the Plass. She reached for her com and paged her friend.

"Martha! He's coming back!" She exclaimed, not listening for a response as she pelted in her high heel boots past people who were staring after her. She ignored them, heading unerringly towards the place she had last seen Jack. He had returned numerous times in the past, and each time she hoped that this time he would be back to stay. She didn't know if this time would be any different, but she couldn't help but hope that it would be the case. Though only weeks had passed for her, sometimes years had passed for Jack. She didn't understand the way the device worked that it would bring him back to the same time, but she was happy it did.

When she got to the Plass, Martha was there looking around. She had a scanner out, but other than that one signal there had been no other alert. She looked up as she heard Gwen run up to her. "Nothing yet," she said. She swept the area again with the scanner. "A false alarm?"

"It's never been wrong before," Gwen retorted. She looked at her friend. "Do you think he found him this time? That he'll be here to stay?"

Martha sighed. Each time Jack had come back, it had always been a mixed bag of emotions. And each time he returned empty handed. Sometimes he would tell them about what happened, other times he was as closed mouth as if the Master had been there to torture him again. She wondered if he would give up when those times happened. The pain in his eyes at whatever happened was always hard for them to bear. She could only imagine what it must be like for Jack to have to live through whatever happened. She silently shook her head as she scanned the area again.

"Wait, over there," Gwen said, hearing the telltale beep and Martha moved the device back to the right, towards the railing. "That's where he'll come." The two headed in that direction and were just about there when there was a blinding flash of light and a figure dropped to the ground. Gwen ran forward and helped Jack up. She stifled a gasp. Jack looked so different.

"Gwen," he said as he pulled her into a hug. He was dressed in his usual outfit, but the clothes seemed too large for him in some ways, and somewhat bedraggled and faded. His hair was unbelievably long and she stared at him in surprise. His face was thinner and tanned. "It's good to see you."

"Jack, are you okay?" She asked anxiously. As before, he was alone upon returning and as he turned to greet Martha, she took a long hard look at him. Wherever he had been, he had spent a long time there. She didn't understand the temporal mechanics of the device and how it always brought him back to the same relative time in Cardiff, but she was glad it did bring him back to her in between his trips.

"Martha," Jack said as he hugged the other woman tight against him and gave her a kiss. "You're looking well."

"And you are looking rather ragged, Captain Harkness," Martha retorted tartly. "Really, now!"

Gwen searched Jack's face as he turned and smiled at her, pulling her close to his other side so he was hugging both women at the same time. "Are you okay, Jack?" She reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes and she was happy to see them smiling down at her.

"I'm okay, Gwen," he said with a nod. "So, what's been happening while I was gone?" He started walking, escorting the two over to a nearby bench. "Tell me everything." He stopped when Gwen pulled away from him and put her hands on her hips.

"Don't think you're going to not tell us what happened, Jack," she said with a shake of her finger. "You do not come back looking like that without telling us a story."

"She's right," Martha said, pulling back and nodding. "Nothing has changed here, work is progressing on the rebuild and so you have all the information you need about what's going on here. Tell us where you were and how you came to look so scruffy."

"Scruffy?" Jack asked in surprise. He rather liked the look himself. "I am not scruffy!"

"You are," Gwen accused him. "Look at that hair! And it's a good thing you don't grow a beard because it would have been down to your knees by now, I'm sure! You are not walking away without telling us how you came to be this way, Jack Harkness!" Jack turned to her and burst out into laughter.

"Wow, never knew my appearance was such a concern, ladies," he said with a grin. He was very amused by their reaction. He looked around the bay, the sounds of a modern industrial world that he had been away from for so long harsh in comparison to what he had been used to. He watched as the two women sat on the bench and waited for him to say something. "What?"

"Well? What happened?" Gwen finally burst out. "Aren't you going to tell us? Did you find him?" She was dying of curiosity for him to tell her. Beside her Martha tilted her head to one side as she examined Jack.

"Jack, just what did you find?" She asked, noting the relaxed lines of his face. Wherever he had been, he had been happy. She wondered that he had actually returned. "Where did you end up?"

Jack sat down on a concrete piling that separated the bench from the walkway along the pier. He nodded. "It was amazing," he said. "And I did find another version of Ianto. His name was Eointaran though." A smile played on his lips and Martha could see that once again, he had fallen for another version of the other man he had loved here in this world.

"Was?" Gwen asked, frowning at Jack's use of the past tense. "What happened?" Jack was still smiling, but she could see a touch of sadness there as well. "Why did you leave then?"

"I stayed for as long as I could," Jack said. "Years, really. Gwen, it was amazing! I was in a world of merpeople." She blinked.

"Ianto was a merman?" She asked. Jack saw the expression on her face and laughed.

"One of many," he said. "So of course he couldn't leave the world he was in, so I stayed with him instead." And with that he began to tell them of the tale of the people he had lived with for so many years. As the breeze whipped his hair around he could smell the oils and pollutants that this world had in it and he cherished the time he had found with a family of people unsullied by technology. They moved indoors once the weather grew colder and sat at a café just talking into the evening. Gwen and Martha were fascinated by the story that Jack had to tell them.

"Was it hard to leave?" Gwen asked when Jack had finished his tale. "It sounds so beautiful."

"It was. But it was time to leave," Jack said. He looked down at the glass of water that he hadn't touched in the time they had been talking. In his mind's eye he thought back to a simple shell in his hand and smiled. "They understood. They are an amazing people, really."

"Is this it, then?" Martha asked. "Are you done looking?" Jack looked up in surprise at her question. He stared at her for a long moment, not answering her question. Gwen held her breath, hoping that he would say that he was done, and would not travel forth again using the device.

"Martha, every time I go out there," he gestured towards the window, but she knew he meant the other universes he had been to. "I find another version of the man that makes me learn so much more about him. I know that I probably will never find another version of the exact man I once knew, but at the same time I think I'm learning so much more about him by finding these others. They're not copies, but individuals in their own right. If there is something that I've learned over time, it is that they're each unique. Each worth knowing."

"Even when it hurts you to leave them?" Gwen asked. She knew that Jack had spent years with this other Ianto. This Eointaran as he called him. She thought it would be hard to watch the one you loved die again, but Jack seemed at peace with it. She watched his face as he smiled down at the glass in front of him. Just what had he experienced that he hadn't told them? Her eye was drawn to something on his wrist and she reached out and stopped his hand from moving. It was an intricately woven band with iridescent shells. "That's beautiful."

Jack looked down at it and gently stroked one of the shells in what seemed to be a familiar gesture. "It is." He looked up with a grin. "Did I tell you I was naked the whole time?"

"What, on this planet?" Martha asked with a laugh. "So I guess you would be tanned all over?" Jack nodded with a twinkle in his eye. "Don't suppose you want to share then?"

"Don't think that would be a good idea," Gwen responded hastily. Knowing Jack, he would drop his clothes off right then and there if prompted. "Better not to, and just leave it to our imagination."

"You're no fun," Jack and Martha echoed together. Gwen shook her head at the two them.

"Seen Jack in the nude before," she said and covered her eyes. "That was enough for this gal." It had been hard enough the first time and she didn't want a repeat performance. Not when she had finally settled down into married life with Rhys and her baby. Jack Harkness was forbidden fruit as far as she was concerned.

"Spoilsport," Martha said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll get a private showing some day myself."

"Oh, it wasn't private at all!" Gwen protested and Jack laughed. In a way she was pleased that he could laugh about the past. Maybe these trips to other dimensions were good for him, and helping him heal from the terrible hurt he had experienced. He did seem more at peace for once. It made her feel better about his repeated attempts to know that it was doing him so good and perhaps he could find some closure and move on.

The conversation moved on into the night until it was time to leave. Gwen had to go back home, and so after giving Jack a hug and eliciting a promise that he wasn't going to leave for a bit, she left. That left Jack and Martha on the Plass.

"Back to mine?" She said with a smile and gestured not towards the rebuilt Hub, but in the direction of her apartment. She had long left the hotel in favor of having a place where she could relax. And the Hub wasn't it. There were too many ghosts for either her or Gwen, though that was changing over time. But she had no wish to bring back unhappy memories for Jack.

"Still trying to get me out of these clothes, aren't you?" He asked with a laugh and she grinned.

"Absolutely, Captain," she told him with a laugh. He extended his elbow for her to take and the two began to walk away in the direction of her flat. They walked in silence for a bit, their heels echoing on the sidewalk. They didn't speak for some time, and it was Martha who broke the silence. "I'm glad you were happy where you were. You deserve some time to yourself."

"Is that what he would say?" Jack asked, looking upwards. She knew whom he was referring to. "Or would he chastise me for interfering?"

"I think the Doctor would understand," Martha said. She knew how much he meant to Jack, along with his approval. He looked down as they walked, his long hair hiding his face from her gaze. Martha pulled to a stop and tugged on Jack's arm. "But would it stop you from trying again?"

Jack thought about that for a moment. "No." They began walking again. "I know my path lies in a different direction from the Doctor's. They may cross again in the future, only time will tell. But I have to make my own decisions without worrying about his disapproval. And this is something I've learned I had to do for myself." He looked up again at the stars and laughed. "After all, I have all of eternity to learn how to behave."

"You may need that long in his estimation," Martha retorted and the two grinned at one another. "You, Jack Harkness, are incorrigible."

"You say that like it is a bad thing," Jack chided her. "I see it as an asset."

"Oh do you?" Martha laughed. "I suppose you would." She hugged his arm as they continued on their way, bantering back and forth. Jack was back, but he wasn't here to stay she knew. But she was certain he was on the road to becoming the Jack she had first met years ago and she looked forward to a time when he would return and not go out again. Maybe he was wrong and the next time he would actually find a man who was most like the Ianto he had once known. She just hoped she would be there for it when he returned…..


End file.
